PSY 224: Research Ethics

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

• An institutional committee that reviews proposed research to safeguard the safety and rights of human participants.

• Its first task is to decide whether the proposed study puts the subjects at risk.

• They must determine whether any risks to the individual are outweighed by potential benefits or the importance of the knowledge to be gained. (Risk-benefit Analysis)

Risk/benefit analysis

A determination, made by an IRB, that any risks to the individual are outweighed by potential benefits or the importance of the knowledge to be gained.

Subject at risk

Is the one who is more likely to be harmed in some way by participating in the research.

Informed Consent

• means that the subject agrees to participate after having been fully informed about the nature of the study.

• need to be written in clear, understandable language at the

  appropriate reading level for participants.

• is to give subjects enough information about the experiment so that they can make an informed decision about whether or not they want to participate.

Specific hypothesis

is typically not disclosed on the form. If subjects are made aware of the researcher’s expectations, their reactions during the experiment may be unintentionally or intentionally altered by this information.

Three Basic Ethical Principles

1. Respect for person

2. Beneficence

3. Justice

Respect for person

maintains that every human being is an autonomous person with the right to make his or her own decisions about research.

Beneficence

• refers to an obligation to minimize risk of harm and maximize possible benefits to individuals.

• also refers to each researcher’s responsibility to estimate potential risks as truthfully and accurately as possible before proposing any research.

Justice

• refers to fairness in both the burdens and benefits of research.

• requires that researchers select their samples of subjects with an eye toward fairness, to ensure that some people are not being selected simply because they are disadvantaged, readily available, or easily manipulated.

The American Psychological Association Guidelines

The code applies to psychologists and students who assume the role of psychologists by engaging in research or practice.

APA or APS

When submitting an article for publication in journals published by either

Deception and Full Disclosure

• The relationship between the researcher and participants should be as open and honest as possible.

• In some psychological studies, however, the true purpose of the study is disguised.

• is necessary to make an appropriate test of the experimental hypothesis.

Deception in Research

Psychologists do not conduct a study involving deception unless they have determined that the use of deceptive techniques is justified by the study's significant prospective scientific, educational, or applied value and that effective nondeceptive alternative procedures are not feasible.

Debriefing

Psychologists provide a prompt opportunity for participants to obtain appropriate information about the nature, results, and conclusions of the research, and they take reasonable steps to correct any misconceptions that participants may have of which the psychologists are aware.

Anonymity and Confidentiality

• It is our responsibility to protect the privacy of research participants. Whenever possible, data should be collected anonymously and identified by code numbers or fictitious names.

• data must be stored in a secure place, kept confidential, and used only for purposes explained to the subject.

• Subjects’ reactions in experiments do not become items of gossip to be shared with friends.

• When shared with colleagues, data must also be treated with discretion and subjects’ identities protected.

Code of Ethics for Philippine Psychologists and Psychometricians

1. Principle 1: Respect for the Dignity of Persons and People

2. Principle II: Competent Caring for the Well-being of Persons and People.

3. Principle III: Integrity

Principle 1: Respect for the Dignity of Persons and People

• the most fundamental and universally found ethical principle across geographical and cultural boundaries, and across professional disciplines.

• It provides the philosophical foundation for many of the other ethical principles put forward by professions.

• recognizes the inherent worth of all human beings, regardless of perceived or real differences in social status, ethnic origin, gender, capacities, or other such characteristics. This inherent worth means that all human beings are worthy of equal moral consideration.

Principle II: Competent Caring for the Well-being of Persons and People.

• involves working for their benefit and, above all, doing no harm. It includes maximizing benefits, minimizing potential harm, and offsetting or correcting harm.

• Competent caring requires the application of knowledge and skills that are appropriate for the nature of a situation as well as the social and cultural context. It also requires the ability to establish interpersonal relationships that enhance potential benefits and reduce potential harm.

• Another requirement is adequate self-knowledge of how one's values, experiences, culture, and social context might influence one's actions and interpretations.

Principle III: Integrity

• is vital to the advancement of scientific knowledge and to the maintenance of public confidence in the discipline of psychology.

• is based on honesty, and on truthful, open and accurate communications. It includes recognizing, monitoring, reporting, and managing potential biases, multiple relationships, and other conflicts of interest that could result in harm and exploitation of persons or peoples.

Protecting the Welfare of Animal Subjects

The care and treatment of animals in research is regulated by the Animal Welfare Act of 1966, which deals with general standards for animal care. Congress amended the act (Federal Register, February 15, 1991) to include new regulations that address the psychological well-being of higher animals.

Animal rights

The concept that all sensate species that feel pain are of equal value and have rights.

Animal welfare

The humane care and treatment of animals.

Institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC)

An institutional committee that reviews proposed research to safeguard the welfare of animal subjects.

Humane Care and Use of Animals in Research

• Psychologists acquire, care for, use, and dispose of animals in compliance with current federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and with professional standards.

• Psychologists trained in research methods and experienced in the care of laboratory animals supervise all procedures involving animals and are responsible for ensuring appropriate consideration of their comfort, health, and humane treatment.

• Psychologists use a procedure subjecting animals to pain, stress, or privation only when an alternative procedure is unavailable and the goal is justified by its prospective scientific, educational, or applied value.

Fraud in Science

is typically thought of as falsifying or fabricating data; clearly, fraud is unethical.

Peer review

Ain important of the reporting prprocess.

Plagiarism

• representing someone else’s work as your own, is a serious breach of ethics and is considered a type of fraud.

• by cutting and pasting information from the Internet has become widespread.

• can be detected using Internet tools.

• Penalties for plagiarism can be severe, so researchers must be careful to give proper credit (through citations) to others who contributed words or ideas to their work.

Tips to Avoid Plagiarism

1. Complete citation of the source/s.

2. identify the source of any ideas, words, or

   information that are not your own.

3. Identify any direct quotes by quotation marks at the beginning and end of the quotes and indicate where you got the quotes. Include the page number where you found the quote.

4. Be careful with paraphrasing; Use

   your own words instead or use quotes.

   Again, be sure to give credit to your

   source. source. 5.

5. Include a complete list of references

   at the end of the report. In psychology,

   references are written in APA style, and

   the style is somewhat different for each

   type of source.

6. If in doubt about whether a citation

   is necessary, cite the source anyway.

   You will do no harm by being

   especially cautious.