Field Methods inPsychology: Ethics in Research & Selecting Participants

Vocabulary flashcards covering ethics in research and how to select participants in psychology.

Ethics

The study of right action in research, focusing on the welfare of participants; researchers should be honest and respectful; guided by APA ethical principles.

APA Ethics Code

A set of ten ethical standards that psychologists must follow to guide research with humans and protect participants; enforceable by the APA or institutions.

Unethical research examples

Well-known cases (e.g., Little Albert, Stanford Prison, Milgram, Harlow, Tuskegee, Guatemala syphilis, Havasupai DNA, Harvard verbal abuse) used to illustrate what not to do in research.

No Harm (Ethical Standard 1)

Protect participants from physical or psychological harm and minimize risks; justify any risk by the potential benefit.

Privacy & Confidentiality (Ethical Standard 2)

Keep participant information private and confidential; use methods that protect anonymity or confidentiality.

Institutional Approval (Ethical Standard 3)

Obtain permission from ethics boards or equivalent bodies before conducting research.

Competence (Ethical Standard 4)

Conduct research only when qualified and properly trained to do so.

Record Keeping (Ethical Standard 5)

Maintain accurate, complete, and secure records of data and procedures.

Informed Consent (Ethical Standard 6)

Provide participants with all information needed to decide voluntarily whether to participate.

Dispensing with Informed Consent (Ethical Standard 7)

Rare cases in which informed consent can be waived or altered.

Fair rewards without coercion (Ethical Standard 8)

Compensation for participation should be fair and not coercive.

Deception in Research (Ethical Standard 9)

Deception should be used only if justified and followed by thorough debriefing.

Debriefing (Ethical Standard 10)

Explain the study and disclose deception to restore participants after participation.

Three parts of Informed Consent

Information, Understanding, Voluntary Participation.

Informed Consent Form Components

Overview; Description of Procedures; Risks and Inconveniences; Benefits; Costs; Confidentiality; Alternative Treatments; Voluntary Participation; Questions; Signature Lines.

Passive deception

Withholding or omitting information relevant to participation.

Active deception

Providing false information about the study’s purpose or procedures.

Confidentiality

Keep participant data secret; use anonymous or coded data; access limited to authorized personnel.

Nonhuman subjects (animal research)

Research using animals is allowed to understand animals themselves, to gain insights about humans by analogy, or when human research is not possible.

CARE guidelines

Committee on Animal Research and Ethics guidelines that mirror human research ethics and govern animal studies.

Ethical issues with animals

Qualified researchers; justified research; minimize harm; proper housing, food, sanitation, and medical care; prioritize animal welfare.

Fraud in science

Deliberate falsification or manipulation of data; distinct from honest errors.

Safeguards for integrity

Replication, peer review, and verification of data help prevent fraud.

Plagiarism

Using others’ ideas or words without giving credit.

Preventing plagiarism guidelines

Take notes with citations; quote or paraphrase properly; include a references list; credit others’ ideas.

Population vs. Sample

Population is the entire group of interest; sample is a subset studied from that population.

Target population

All individuals fitting the study criteria.

Accessible population

Portion of the target population you can actually recruit.

Representative sample

A sample that matches the population’s characteristics.

Biased sample

A sample that differs from the population, threatening validity.

Sample Size (general idea)

Larger samples generally provide a better representation of the population.

Quantitative Sample Size considerations

In small known populations you may need smaller samples; in large/unknown populations, size depends on desired precision, confidence, and power.

95% confidence & ±5% error

A common standard example: for some populations, a sample of about 278 yields 95% confidence with a ±5% margin of error.

Population size impact (quantitative)

Small known populations allow smaller samples; large/unknown populations require larger samples for precision.

Confidence Level

The probability that the population parameter lies within the margin of error (commonly 90%, 95%, 99%; 95% is standard).

Margin of Error

The range within which the true population parameter is expected to lie; smaller margins require larger samples.

Statistical Power

Probability of detecting a true effect; typically 80% or higher; higher power requires larger samples.

Data Saturation (qualitative)

Point at which no new themes emerge, signaling stopping data collection.

Participant homogeneity vs diversity

Homogeneous samples need fewer participants; diverse samples require more to capture variation.

Probability Sampling

Random selection with known probabilities for each member of the population.

Non-probability Sampling

Sampling based on convenience or judgment without known chances for inclusion.

Simple Random Sampling

Randomly selecting individuals from the population; unbiased, but not always perfectly representative.

Systematic Sampling

Select every nth individual after a random starting point; easier but dependent selections.

Stratified Random Sampling

Divide into strata, then randomly select equal numbers from each stratum.

Proportionate Stratified Sampling

Stratify and sample proportionally to each stratum’s presence in the population.

Cluster Sampling

Randomly select entire clusters or groups; efficient for large populations but clusters may not be independent.

Convenience Sampling

Select participants who are easy to access; typically biased.

Quota Sampling

Set quotas for subgroups and fill them with convenience sampling; controls subgroup composition but can still be biased.