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Ethical considerations

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The following page outlines how to respond to ethical considerations essays.  This prompt is quite common and may be combined with any of the topics on papers 1 or 2.  It is important to have a strategy for approaching the question that is in line with the IB's assessment criteria.

What is the question asking?

A typical ethics question looks something like this: Discuss two or more ethical considerations in research on the reliability of cognitive processes.

You are assessed on the following aspects of the question:

  • Have you identified and discussed two or more ethical considerations?
  • Is the research used relevant to the "reliability of cognitive processes?"
  • Is there an actual discussion in the essay?  - that is, is the command term met?

Below is an explanation of how the essay should be structured.  Although this is not the only possible way to structure the essay, this approach is a successful approach.

Structuring the essay

Introduction: Be sure to state the two ethical considerations that you will be discussing

Paragraph 2: Explain ethical consideration 1

Paragraph 3: Explain how one study of the reliability of cognitive processes is linked to the ethical consideration in Paragraph 2

Paragraph 4: Explain ethical consideration 2

Paragraph 5: Explain how one study of the reliability of cognitive processes is linked to the ethical consideration in Paragraph 4

Paragraph 6:  Discuss the importance of ethical considerations and conclusion.  Why are ethics sometimes broken?  What are the implications of these considerations on our ability to do research?

Exam tips

  • Although the question asks for two ore more, two is really enough.
  • In your introduction, only identify the two ethical considerations you are going to discuss - not all of them!
  • Some of the ethical considerations have more to write about than others. For example, you can discuss what is meant by "undue" in undue stress or harm; you can discuss why deception is used (both deception by omission and by commission)
  • You should not evaluate the studies other than linking them to the ethical consideration.

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