Today’s Discussion
Introduction to Ethics in Research
Intro To Ethics In Research
1. The American Psychological Association (APA)
requires that all research is approved by the host
institution.
2. For human research, approval of the institution’s
Institutional Review Board (IRB) is required.
3. For non-human animal research, approval is needed
from the Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee (IACUC).
Intro To Ethics In Research
1. The IRB will formally require ask the
researchers about the risk / benefit ratio.
Both the risks and benefits must be written.
The ethical question at hand: “Is it worth it?”
2. Potential Pop Quiz Question: What is meant
by minimal risk?
3. Let’s get your opinions on these minimal-risk
scenarios…
Intro To Ethics In Research
College students are asked to complete an
adjective checklist describing their current
mood. The researcher is seeking to identify
students who are depressed so that they can
be included in a study examining cognitive
deficits associated with depression.
Is this minimal risk?
If yes, let’s re-write to make it “risky”.
If no, let’s re-write it to make it minimal risk.
Intro To Ethics In Research
Elderly adults in a nursing home are given
a battery of achievement tests in the dayroom
at their home. A psychologist seeks to
determine if there is a decline in mental
functioning with advancing age.
Is this minimal risk?
If yes, let’s re-write to make it “risky”.
If no, let’s re-write it to make it minimal risk.
Intro To Ethics In Research
Students in a psychology research methods
class see another student enter their classroom
in the middle of the class period, speak out
loudly and angrily with the instructor, and
then leave. As part of a study of eyewitness
testimony, the students are then asked to
describe the intruder.
Is this minimal risk?
If yes, let’s re-write to make it “risky”.
If no, let’s re-write it to make it minimal risk.
Intro To Ethics In Research
A researcher recruits students from
introductory psychology classes to participate
in a study of the effects of alcohol on cognitive
functioning. The experiment requires that
some students drink 2 ounces of alcohol
(mixed with orange juice) before performing
a computer game.
Is this minimal risk?
If yes, let’s re-write to make it “risky”.
If no, let’s re-write it to make it minimal risk.
Intro To Ethics In Research
Potential Pop Quiz Question: What ethical
point was raised about untreated syphilis?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_syphilis_experiment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hS53PxaCYU
Intro To Ethics In Research
Student comments on the idea of
institutional apologies.
Intro To Ethics In Research
Research participants have
ethical responsibilities, too.
It’s *not* just researchers who bear ethical burdens.
Researchers can ethically establish data-exclusion criteria.
Intro To Ethics In Research
Informed consent is especially important
when children are involved!
Images from PPT’s “clip art”, search term = “Baby”
Intro To Ethics In Research
Whenever possible, obtain “assent” –
An expressed willingness to participate.”
Intro To Ethics In Research
Potential Pop Quiz Question: What ethical issue
arises from observing this couple, seated in a public park?
Intro To Ethics In Research
Potential Pop Quiz Question: What ethical
issue arose in the classic “Milgram” experiment?
Milgram Video:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A-Virtual-Reprise-of-the-Stanley-Milgram-Obedience-Experiments-pone.0000039.s011.ogv
Intro To Ethics In Research
1. After the study, researchers must provide each
participant with a debriefing.
2. The debriefing
-educates the participant about the research & literature
-justifies the use of deception (if applicable)
-provides the participant the chance to ask questions
-expresses gratitude for the participants time and effort
Science can’t progress without participants!
3. Researchers also benefit by debriefing
-we often learn how participants viewed the experience
-we sometimes receive comments that generate new studies.
Intro To Ethics In Research
1. After the study, researchers must provide each
participant with a debriefing.
2. The debriefing
-educates the participant about the research & literature
-justifies the use of deception (if applicable)
-provides the participant the chance to ask questions
-expresses gratitude for the participants time and effort
Science can’t progress without participants!
3. Researchers also benefit by debriefing
-we often learn how participants viewed the experience
-we sometimes receive comments that generate new studies.
Intro To Ethics In Research
1. Plagiarism – Under what conditions are reference
citations required?
2. Citation - Some journals require authors to list references
alphabetically, others require references to be listed in
chronological order (“priority” in time).
3. Authorship – Science journals typically require that all people
who make significant *INTELLECTUAL* contributions to a
study should be granted authorship status.
4. Author sequence – Alphabetical versus “Proportional”
Intro To Ethics In Research
Your ideas about the ethical pros and cons
of animal research in psychology?
Acknowledgments
Images used in this educational presentation
were obtained from Wikimedia Commons, in
accordance with regulations regarding
copyright, use, and dissemination.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page