Ethical Issues in Behavioral Research - Video Notes

A set of practice flashcards covering ethical dilemmas, IRB, informed consent, deception, confidentiality, and scientific misconduct from the lecture notes.

What are the two sets of obligations for a behavioral scientist that may collide?

To enhance understanding of behavioral processes and to protect the rights and welfare of human and nonhuman subjects.

What does cost-benefit analysis require in ethical guidelines?

The benefits of research should outweigh its costs.

Name at least three benefits of research listed in the notes.

Enhances understanding of behavioral processes; improves research or assessment techniques; benefits society, researchers, and participants.

What are some costs of research mentioned in the notes?

Negative impacts on welfare such as social discomfort, threats to self-esteem, stress, boredom, anxiety, and pain.

What does IRB stand for and what is its role?

Institutional Review Board; reviews research involving human participants to ensure ethical compliance.

Are APA Ethical Guidelines binding?

No — they are nonbinding, though regulations at federal, state, and local levels govern research.

Which institutions must have an IRB?

Any institution receiving federal funds that conducts research involving human participants.

Must all behavioral studies be approved by an IRB?

Yes; all behavioral studies must be preapproved by the IRB before conduct.

What are IRB exemption categories commonly used?

Educational practices; surveys, interviews, and observation of public behavior.

How is 'minimal risk' defined for IRB purposes?

Risk that is no greater in probability or severity than everyday life or routine physical/psychological examinations.

What information should informed consent cover?

Purpose, duration, procedures; right to decline/withdraw; foreseeable consequences; risks/benefits; limits of confidentiality; incentives; contact information.

When can a participant’s consent not be valid and what is done instead?

When participants cannot provide valid consent (e.g., infants/children); consent must be obtained from a parent or guardian.

What counts as coercion to participate?

Real or implied pressure from an authority figure or course requirements; participants must have alternatives.

What does deception in research involve and what are the requirements?

Use of confederates, false feedback, or incorrect information about stimuli; deception is discouraged and must be justified; debriefing is required.

How should confidentiality and data be managed?

Protect personally identifiable information; separate data sets: with PII securely stored and a de-identified dataset for analysis.

What is Open Science practice?

Post all data and coding on a public data repository (e.g., OSF) to promote transparency.

What is the ethical stance on data falsification?

Never falsify data; it will eventually be discovered.

What is preregistration and its purpose?

Register hypotheses and target sample size before starting to prevent p-hacking.

Where can preregistration and open data be hosted?

Prereggistration can be done at aspredicted.org; open data can be posted on repositories like OSF.