Research Ethics in Experimental Psychology

• One way to protect participants from social risk is to keep their responses confidential.


  confidentiality
• Privacy is the right of individuals to decide how information about them is communicated to others.
• differentiates "good" and "bad" intentions, decisions and actions

  morality
• occurs when information is withheld from participants

  deception
• Different types of risk in research:

  1. physical injury,
  2. psychological injury (mental or emotional stress),
  3. social injury (embarrassment)
• IACUC

  Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
• Prior to conducting any study, the proposed research must be reviewed to determine if it meets ethical standards.

  Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

  1. Reviews research to make sure animals are treated humanely.
  2. In addition to reviewing research procedures, these committees review the animals’ living quarters and the training procedures for those who work with animals.
  3. Include at least one scientist, one veterinarian, and one person not affiliated with the institution.
• Researchers and participants enter into a social contract, often using an informed consent procedure.
• acknowledge fairly those who have contributed to a research project.

  Publication credit
• The researcher should explain to participants the ways in which their information will be protected and kept confidential.

  privacy
• Steps for Ethical Decision Making

  1. Find out all the facts of the situation.
  2. Identify the ethical issues that are relevant.
  3. Decide what is at stake for all parties involved.
  4. Identify alternative methods or procedures, and discuss consequences and ethical implications.
  5. Decide on the action to be taken.
• Ethics is the philosophy of morality
• Researchers are ethically obligated to protect participants from all risk.
• Deception occurs when participants are intentionally misinformed about an aspect of the research.
• Responses are anonymous when individuals do not provide any identifying information.
• Pros of Deception:

  1. Deception allows researchers to study individuals’ natural behavior.
  2. Deception allows opportunities to investigate behaviors and mental processes not easily studied using non-deceptive methods.
• Researchers are ethically obligated to make clear to participants the nature of the research (what they will do in the experiment) and any possible risks.


  Informed Consent
• Prio to conducting any study, the proposed research must be reviewed to determine if it meets ethical standards.

  1. The risk/benefit ratio is a subjective evaluation of the costs and benefits of a research project to: participants & society, the researcher and institution
  2. Is the research worth it? Are the benefits greater than the risks? Will the study produce valid and interpretable results?
• A moral code is a system of morality
• Three major dimensions should be considered when trying to decide whether people’s behavior is public or private:

  1. the sensitivity of the information more sensitive information is typically regarded as more private
  2. the setting of the information in public settings, people give up a certain degree of privacy
  3. method of dissemination of the information sensitive information should be reported in ways so that specific individuals cannot be identified.
• Don’t present substantial portions or elements of another’s work as your own.

  plagiarism
• Individuals must not be pressured to participate in research.


  Informed consent
• Minimal risk means that 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.
• Explicit reflections on moral beliefs and practices

  Ethics
• authorship should be based on the scholarly importance of individuals’ contributions.

  publication credit
• Cons of Deception:

  1. Deception contradicts the principle of informed consent.
  2. The relationship between researcher and participant is not open and honest.
  3. Frequent use of deception may make individuals suspicious about research and psychology.
• A moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code “do not tell lies”
• Deceiving people for the purpose of getting them to participate in a research project is always unethical.


  deception
• remove any identifying information

  confidentiality
• Ignorance and sloppiness are not legitimate excuses.

  plagiarism
• Informed consent must be obtained from legal guardians when individuals are not able to provide consent (e.g., children, mentally impaired individuals).
• Used for recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct

  Ethics
• Informed consent is not required when researchers observe people’s behavior in public settings.


  Privacy
• “confidential” is not the same as “anonymous”


  confidentiality
• Research participants must be allowed to withdraw their consent at any time without penalties.


  Informed Consent
• Cite the sources of your ideas when you use the exact words (with quotation marks and page number) and when you paraphrase.

  plagiarism
• report results in terms of statistical averages

  confidentiality
• Individuals unable to provide legal consent must provide their assent to participation.

  Informed Consent
• Written informed consent is essential when participants are exposed to more than minimal risk.
• Obtaining informed consent is a special problem in Internet research.