CLASS NOTES-CH 4: Ethical guidelines for psychological research

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

A study in which the U.S. Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed the progression of syphilis in hundreds of poor African American men in Tuskegee, Alabama, without providing them with a known cure for the disease.

Anonymous study

researchers do not collect any potentially identifying information, including names, birthdays, photos, and so on

Vulnerable groups

Children, prisoners, people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Confidential study

researchers collect some identifying information (for contacting people at a later date if needed) but prevent it from being disclosed. May save data in encrypted form or store people’s names separately from their other data.

Milgram Obedience Studies

Done in 1960s. Subjects administered shocks of increasing voltage for wrong answers. Milgram predicted that most people would stop giving shocks once the "learner" started feeling pain. Predictions were wrong and 65% of the subjects delivered full course of shocks.

debriefing

the post-experimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants

Belmont Report

ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research

core ethical principles

1. respect for persons

2. beneficence

3. justice

respect for persons

an ethical principle from the Belmont Report stating that research participants should be treated as autonomous agents and that certain groups deserve special protections

principle of beneficence

an ethical principle from the Belmont Report stating that researchers must take precautions to protect participants from harm and to promote their well-being

principle of respect for persons example

-informed consent

-no large incentives

principle of justice

an ethical principle from the Belmont Report calling for a fair balance between the kinds of people who participate in research and the kinds of people who benefit from it

APA's general principles

1. beneficence and nonmaleficence

2. fidelity and responsibility

3. integrity

4. justice

5. respect for people's rights and dignity

omission

withholding details of a study from participants

commission

blatantly lying to participants

informed consent

explanation of study presented to participants before agreeing to participate

institutional review boards

responsible for making sure studies are conducted ethically

data fabrication

researchers invent data that fit their hypothesis

data falsification

researchers selectively delete observations or influence participants to act in a way to get the desired results

plagiarism

presenting words/ideas of others as your own

self-plagiarism

cycling of information from previously presented texts/publications by the same person

3 R's of animal care guidelines

-replacement

-refinement

-reduction

replacement

finding alternatives to using animals when possible

refinement

designing studies to minimize animal distress

reduction

use the fewest amount of animals as possible

ethical decision making

process that requires striking a balance between science and morality

-potential knowledge gained must outweigh potential harm to participants