Ch.4 Ethical Psychological Research

The National Research Act (1974)

1. Passed by congress

2. Mandated regulations for the protection of human participants

3. Department of health, education, and welfare create the national commission for the protection of human subjects of biomedical and behavioral research

The Belmont Report: Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research (1979)

1. Respect for persons

2. Beneficence

3. Justice

Respect For Persons

Individuals should consent to participate in studies and those who cannot given their consent, such as children, people with diminished abilities, and prisoners

Coercion

There has to be an alternative option because otherwise participants are being forced

Undue Influence (violation)

Offering an incentive too attractive to refuse

Informed Consent

each person learns about the research project, considers its risks and benefits, and decides whether to participate

Beneficence

Protect participants from harm; risk-benefit analysis

(Beneficence) risks

1. physical, psychological, practical (having people’s personal information)

2. Anonymous vs. Confidential

(Beneficence) Benefits

1. adding knowledge to the field

2. giving people opportunity to contribute to this process, helping particular group of people

Anonymous

Researchers do not collect identifying information

Confidential

researchers collect some identifying information but prevent it from being disclosed

justice

1. Fair selection of participants

2. Do the participants bear an undue burden of risk?

APA’s Ethical Standard 8: IRB

1. Committee responsible for interpreting ethical principles and ensuring that human subjects research is conducted ethically

2. 1 scientist, 1 person with academic interests outside of sciences, 1 or more community member

3. Researcher must submit proposal to IRB

IRB (KSU’s IRB)

1. Must fill out an application and submit it to the IRB before conducting research

2. The IRB’s purpose is to regulate all research activities involving human subjects at KSU, ensuring that people who participate in research are treated ethically and in compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations

APA’s Ethical Standard 8: Informed Consent

general description of study, researchers/contact info, risks and benefits, confidentiality

Researchers are not required to offer up what….

Specific details about their study like their hypotheses

APA Ethical Standard 8: Deception

Misleading the participants about the study’s purpose or procedures

Passive Deception

Withholding or omitting of information

Active Deception

Presenting of misinformation about the study to participants

APA ethical standard 8: Debriefing

APA Ethical Standard 8: Fraud

Explicit effort of a researcher to falsify or misrepresent data

Fraud safeguards: Replication

Can the results of a research study be produced again?

Fraud safeguards: peer review

experts in the field evaluate quality of your research before it can be published

Blatant Plagiarism

turning someone else’s paper in as your own or copying sentences from source (without properly quoting)

Subtle Plagiarism

Relexification or synonym substitution

Animal Research

1. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

2. Replacement, Refinement, Reduction