Chapter 3: Ethical Research

Stanley Milgram’s Obedience to Authority Experiment (1961-1965) [p38]

Deception

Occurs when information is withheld from participants or when participants are intentionally misinformed about an aspect of the research [pp44-46]

Deception is justified only when:

the study is very important no other methods for conducting

research are available deception would not influence the

individual’s decision to participate in the research

[pp44-46]

Debriefing involves:

informing participants after the experiment about reasons for the deception

discussing any misconceptions

removing harmful effects of deception

[p47]

Debriefing also includes:

educating people helping people feel good about their

participation educating the researcher about the

experience of the participant

AmericanPsychologicalAssociation Ethics Code

Beneficience Responsibility Integrity Justice Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity

[p53]

Beneficence [p39]

Doing or producing good Maximize benefits and minimize harmful effects

of participation

Responsibility

Being faithful Accuracy in details

Integrity Justice [p50]

Adherence to a code of moral, artistic, or other values

Conformity to truth, fact, or reason

Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity (Autonomy) [p42]

Dignity: The state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed

  

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Reviews all research involving human participants [p50]

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Reviews research to make sure animals are treated humanely [p57]

Risk/benefit ratio

A subjective evaluation of the costs and benefits of a research project to participants, society, and the researcher and institution [p39]

Relies on consensus of opinion among committee members

Assessment of Risks and Benefits [p39]

• Potential Risks

• Physical harm

• Psychological stress

• Loss of confidentiality and privacy

Potential Benefits• Direct benefits, such

as educational benefit, new skill, or treatment for a psychological or medical problem

• Material benefits

• Personal satisfaction

• Educational Benefit

Minimal risk

The harm or discomfort participants may experience is not greater than what they might experience in their daily lives or during routine physical or psychological tests [p51]

Confidentiality

A way to protect participants from social risk [pp41]

Maintaining participant confidentiality requires:

*removing any identifying information

*reporting research results in terms of

statistical averages

Written informed consent

Essential when participants are exposed to more than minimal risk [p42]

Individuals unable to provide legal consent must provide their assent.

assent = agreement

Informed consent

A person’s explicitly expressed willingness to participate in a research project based on a clear understanding of:1. the nature of the research,2. the consequences of not participating, and3. all the factors that might be expected to

influence that person’s willingness to participate [p42]

p43

Nuremberg Code, 1948

Adopted by the United Nations after the second World War

Originally formulated to guide the conduct of biomedical research; subsequently adopted by the APA

Tuskegee Syphilis Study, 1932-1972 [p50]

A famous case of research misconduct in the United States

The Belmont Report, 1979 [p39]

Further defined the APA Ethics Code Focused on

• Beneficience

• Respect for people

• Justice

Privacy

The right of individuals to decide how information about them is communicated to others [p41]

Things to consider when deciding whether behavior is public or private

Sensitivity of the information Setting of the information Method of dissemination of information

[p41]

Ethical standards for reporting psychological research include:

Giving publication credit Reporting data accurately Being honest (never fabricating data) Citing other’s work properly (plagiarism

is forbidden!)

[pp59-62]

[pp61-62]