Ethics in Psychology: Belmont Report & Experimental Design

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers ethical principles in psychology research, Institutional Review Board (IRB) functions, specific study replications, and notable cases of research fraud.

Belmont Report

A report outlining three core ethical principles for research: Beneficence, Autonomy/Respect for Persons, and Justice.

Beneficence

The first Principle of the Belmont Report which focuses on weighing research risks against potential benefits.

Autonomy / Respect for Persons

The second Principle of the Belmont Report that involves informed consent, debriefing, and protecting special populations or confidentiality.

Justice

The third Principle of the Belmont Report that requires participants to be selected fairly, ensuring no single group bears all risks or receives all benefits.

Informed consent

An informed, intentional decision to participate in research and the ability to withdraw, usually captured via a form.

Deception

The active misrepresentation of a study's purpose or procedures to participants.

Debriefing

The process of explaining a study's purpose and design, revealing any deception used, and fixing any negative effects (replacing "broken" aspects) after participation.

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

Committees that must approve all research with human subjects and oversee ethics training to ensure compliance with the $3$ Belmont Report principles.

Burger (2009)

A researcher who replicated Milgram's study by implementing ethical changes such as stopping at $150\,v$, screening participants, and emphasizing the right to withdraw $3$ times.

Diederik Stapel (2011)

A social psychologist who committed major research fraud by faking data in more than $30$ papers because he was frustrated by the "messiness" of experimental data.