Ethical Principles of Psychologists - Assignment Example

Portfolio Assignment Section Ethics Every research involving human participation has to go through a process that is formal in review of ethics of research. In my view, confidentiality of the participants should be highly regarded during the research process. Members are to fully disclosure of what the research entails, why their participation is required, risks and benefits of the study. The participant should be entitled to withdraw at his pleasure (Koocher and Keith-Spiegel, 2008). As a result, participants should not be forced to continue with the interview process ones the feeling of anxiety overcome them. The researcher, by, not allowing the participants to withdraw their participation at wills when they get a sense of anxiety is thus not ethical as required by BPS Code of Ethics. Researchers should respect the participants’ privacy and ensure that they are not personally identifiable. Information obtained from them should never be traceable by any other third party. By being obliged to present to a group of students by either holding in mind a positive or a negative self-image in my view, does not seem to be ethical. Participants who assume the viewers on a later life even if they have the positive self-image might view the negative self-image negatively encounter which might lead to stigmatization. 2. To ensure that the research meets the principles of ethics outlined in the guidelines of BPS, the researcher must hold the standards of ethics through autonomy and respect of individuals. The high level of respect will oblige the person carrying out the study to explain the full details of the research to participants. In addition, it should be before they are involved without hiding any information that they are entitled to obtain. As a result, the members are allowed to withdraw their participation at any level of the study when they feel anxious. The research should consider the effects that the study might subject the participants to and such harm must be at all costs ((Koocher and Keith-Spiegel, 2008). Risks were arising such as exposing the participants to third parties. Protocols for risk management and assessment must be followed. As a result, a third party would protect the participants’ legal rights. A study that involves capturing of data on topics that are sensitive to using audio recording, video or any methods in which the participants’ image might be is at times relevant. It is then vitally significant that additional informed consent be to the participant. Section 2: American Psychological Association (APA) Style 1. A reference list that is correctly formatted using APA style: Pratt, D., Cooper, M. J., & Hackmann, A. (2004). Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy ( vol. 32, pg 165-176). Imagery and its characteristics in people who are anxious about spiders. Samantha, J., D., Emily A., H., & Anne, H. (2004). Memory (vol 12, page 416-427). Occurrence of imagery and its link with early memories in agoraphobia. Somerville, K., Cooper, M. J., & Hackmann, A. (2007). Journal: Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry (Vol. 38, pg 435-446). Spontaneous imagery in women with bulimia nervosa: An investigation into content, characteristics and links to childhood memories. Hackmann, A., Surawy, C., & David, M. C. (1998). Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy . Seeing yourself through others eyes. A study of spontaneously occurring images in social phobia. Journal: (vol. 26, Pages 3-12) 2. Correct APA style citation in the extract as per the APA guidelines. Hypochondriasis, also described as severe and persistent health anxiety, is characterized by preoccupation with the fear of possessing an acute disease. These disease frequently persists despite the suitable medical reassurance. In addition, epidemiological research depicts that up to the underlying nine per cent of the prevailing patients within the general medical practice clinics. Thus, achieving suitable diagnostic criteria for the hypochondriasis, and the corresponding prevalence within the general population, which has been researched to be five percent (Asmundson, Sevgur & Cox, 2001) Severe and persistent health fear not solely results in massive suffering of the underlying patients coupled with underlying populace around them. In addition, they are typically costly in reference to the underlying higher medical care utilization (Barsky et al., 2001). Thus, it is the fundamental priority to comprehend the etiology and maintenance of hypochondriasis and to develop effective treatments. Although DSM-IV-TR (2000) currently classifies hypochondriasis as a somatoform disorder, the prevailing cognitive procedures are extremely consistent with the ones possessing anxiety disorders ( Mayou et al., (2005); Noyes, (1999); Olatunji et al., (2009. Thus, it has been conceptualized as such for the purposes of treatment (Salkovskis, Warwick & Deale, (2003); Clark et al., (1998); Wells, (1997). 3.a) Graph Completion. b) Table completion Groups Percentage Group 1 32% Group 2 14% Group 3 12% 4. Two features of APA style that have not been followed in the paragraph APA style of citation and referencing involves the method of author and date while the author’s surname and year in which publication was done are inserted in the texts of the paragraphs. Citation of references is inserted in the sentences in order to eliminate the use of footnotes at the end of the paragraph. Citations and references will aid the reader in locating the sources should there be any need. The year of publication is not put in the bracket as it should be. The title in the reference list also does not correspond to the idea in the paragraph. In addition, APA does not indent reference found at the end of the prevailing paragraph as a required rule. Section 3: Experimental Design & Interpreting Statistical Analysis 1. What is the experimental hypothesis? Experimental hypothesis is the impact of drinking alcohol on driving ability. 2. Was the experimental hypothesis directional or non-directional? A- Directional B- Non-directional Write the correct option here: __A-Directional______ 3. What was the independent variable or variables? The group that was given 250-ml drink containing tonic water mixed with ethyl alcohol. 4. What was the dependent variable or variables? The group that was given a 250-ml drink containing only tonic water. 5. At what level was the dependent variable measured? A - Nominal B - Ordinal C - Interval D - Ratio Write the correct option here: __A-Nominal 6. Did the experiment use a between groups or within subjects design? A - Between groups B - Within subjects Write the correct option here: B- Within subjects design 7. Identify one confounding variable and explain how this variable could impact on the results of the study. The driving simulation was carried out and completed at a time, which was convenient for every participant. It could happen when the alcoholic content in the blood system had gone down. An unexpected vehicle abruptly pulling out in front of every car could affect the results as not every driver is quick enough to react to the brakes. As a result, the conclusion would be that the driver was under the influence of alcohol. Due to this, the accurate results expected would not be found. 8. Was the researcher justified in carrying out a parametric test to examine whether there was a significant difference between the conditions or groups in the experiment? Within your answer, refer to the results of the tests of normality and homogeneity of variance outlined above. The researcher was justified in doing a parametric test in examining the difference between the groups in the experiment. The frequency of response to the sudden pulling out of the vehicle to the road had different reactions from the groups with various reaction by the sexes. 9. Report the statistical results of the study and state whether there was a significant difference or not between the conditions or groups in the experiment. Make sure that your answer adheres to APA formatting guidelines. 10. As per the statistical results, there are minimal differences between those drivers under the influence of alcohol and those used as control test (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test). It is indicated by the small mean difference and standard deviation. The result might be due to the participants being allowed to finish driving at their own convenient time in which the alcoholic content shall have reduced in their blood system. 11. What conclusions can you draw based on the results of the study? Refer to the hypothesis outlined in your answer. To conclude, driving under the influence of alcohol to some extent can cause an accident due to failure to respond quickly to the brake by the driver as alcohol lowers the quick response of the nerves. On the other hand, alcohol reacts to people differently depending on ones gender and age. For this reason, to avoid accidents arising as a result of alcohol influence, drivers should not drink and drive. Section 4: Experimental Design &Conducting Statistical Analysis 1. What is the experimental hypothesis? Is practicing mindfulness meditation reducing stress in undergraduate university students? 2. Was the experimental hypothesis directional or non-directional? a. Directional b. Non-directional Write the correct option here: a- Directional 3. What was the independent variable or variables? Mindfulness mediation 4. What was the dependent variable or variables? Students’ level of stress 5. At what level was the dependent variable measured? A - Nominal B - Ordinal C - Interval D - Ratio Write the correct option here: B-Ordinal 6. Did the experiment use a between groups or within subjects design? A - Between groups B - Within subjects Write the correct option here: B- Within subjects 7. Identify one confounding variable and explain how this variable could impact on the results of the study. Students’ level of stress was the confounding variable. Mindfulness mediation was conducted for 30 minutes ones on a daily basis for eight weeks. Due to this reason, the stress level varied in individuals in all the weeks as no one can be emphasised on a regular basis. As a result, the final findings would not be exact as compared to when the research was conducted on one single day. 8. i. The mean of the ages of participants = 18.3 Standard deviation of the ages of participants = 0.78666421 Range of the ages of participants= 4 Ii Number of female participants= 42 (60%) Number of male participants= 28(40%)   Demographic table Mean 18.3 Standard Error 0.094024357 Median 18 Mode 18 Standard Deviation 0.78666421 Sample Variance 0.61884058 Kurtosis 9.768230813 Skewness 3.085425518 Range 4 Minimum 18 Maximum 22 Sum 1281 Count 70 Confidence Level(95.0%) 0.18757346 ii. 9. t-Test: Two-Sample Assuming Unequal Variances t-test sample for female   Variable 1 Variable 2 Mean 29.40476 28.83333333 Variance 21.5151 25.26422764 Observations 42 42 Hypothesized Mean Difference 0 df 81 t Stat 0.541452 P(T Read More