Читать книгу Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology - Robert Weis - Страница 142

Another important ethical principle is autonomy, that is, people’s right to make informed decisions about their lives. To respect autonomy, psychologists gain participants’ consent throughout the research process. Informed consent in research means that participants are aware of the purpose and nature of the study and freely agree to participate in it (American Psychological Association, 2017a).

According to the APA Ethics Code, Dr. Hall must provide the following information to participants so that they can make an informed decision regarding their involvement in the study:

Information about the purpose of the study, its duration, and procedures;

The fact that the study is voluntary and participants can withdraw from it at any time;

Possible risks associated with participating;

Possible research benefits that might be gained;

Other incentives (such as money) associated with participating;

A description of who will have access to their data; and

An opportunity to ask additional questions about the study.

Consent should be viewed as a process that occurs throughout participants’ involvement in the study. Dr. Hall should make sure that her participants are always aware that they are free to withdraw their consent at any time without penalty. Participants must also have ample opportunities to ask questions about the study if they feel unsure about any aspects of their participation (Lasser & Gottlieb, 2018).

Researchers who conduct studies with ethnic minority families must take special care to respect participants’ autonomy and social–cultural backgrounds. For example, Dr. Hall must make sure that she provides information to participants using language that they understand. She must also avoid pressuring families into participating, either by offering excessive incentives (e.g., large sums of money) or implicitly threatening to deny benefits (e.g., limiting their child’s access to services at school). Dr. Hall must also be mindful of the importance of respecting the privacy of families who might be undocumented or who have experienced mistreatment in their countries of origin (Fisher et al., 2017).

Children and adolescents may not be able to consent to research because of their minor status. When conducting research involving children and adolescents, psychologists first obtain consent from their parents or legal caregivers. Then, they obtain assent from the child. Child assent involves explaining the study’s purpose and procedures to children using language that they understand, communicating that their participation is voluntary and that they can withdraw at any time, and answering any questions they might have about the study.