 CHAPTER 3
ETHICAL RESEARCH
 MILGRAM’S OBEDIENCE EXPERIMENT
 Study of the phenomenon of obedience to an authority figure
 Examined the effects of punishment on learning (shock treatment for mistakes)
 Results challenged beliefs about our ability to resist authority
 Important for understanding obedience in real life situations such as the Holocaust
 BELMONT REPORT
 The Belmont Report (1979): Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human
Subjects of Research
 Beneficence
 Autonomy (respect for persons)
 Justice
 Areas of Ethical Concern
 Relationship of society and science
 Professional issues
 Treatment of research participants
 Ethical Dilemma
 Weigh risks – psychological, physical
 Weigh benefits to individual and society
 ASSESSMENTS OF RISKS AND BENEFITS
 Risks in Psychological Research
 Physical harm
 Psychological Stress
 Loss of privacy and confidentiality
 ASSESSMENTS OF RISKS AND BENEFITS
 Potential benefits of Psychological Research
 Educational benefits, new skill, or treatment for a psychological or medical condition
 Material benefits
 Personal satisfaction
 INFORMED CONSENT
 Informed Consent Form
 Autonomy Issues
 Information Issues: Withholding Information and Deception
 What is the cost versus the benefit?
 Is Deception a Major Ethical Problem in Psychological Research?
 THE IMPORTANCE OF DEBRIEFING
 Debriefing
 Occurs after completion of the study
 Opportunity for the researcher to deal with issues of withholding information,
deception, and potential harmful effects of participation
 Explains why deception was necessary
 Provides additional resources, if necessary
 Makes sure participant leaves the experiment without any ill feelings towards the field
of psychology
 IMPORTANCE OF DEBRIEFING
 Positive aspects of debriefing:
 Provides an opportunity to explain the purpose of the study and anticipated results
 Most participants report positive experience
 Research suggests that it is effective
 ALTERNATIVES TO DECEPTION
 Role-Playing
 Asks participants how they would respond to a certain situation or to predict how
others would respond
 Not considered a satisfactory alternative to deception
 Simulation Studies
 Variation on role-playing that involves simulation of a real- world situation
 Has a high degree of involvement from participants
 Honest Experiments
 Participants are made aware of the purpose of the research (e.g., speed dating studies;
study skills improvement program)
 JUSTICE AND THE SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS
 Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-1972)
 Justice principle requires researchers to address issues of equity
 Any decisions to include or exclude certain people from a study must be justified on
scientific grounds
 RESEARCHER COMMITMENTS
 Implied Contract with Participants
 Punctuality
 Summary of Details to Participant
 Course Credit
 Details that Maintain Trust Between Participants and Researchers
 THE INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB)
 Each institution that receives federal funds must have an IRB
 Responsible for reviewing research at the institution
 Must have at least 5 members
 One member must be from outside the institution
 All research conducted by students, faculty and staff must be reviewed
 TYPES OF RESEARCH AND THE IRB
 Exempt Research (no review needed)
 Research in which there is no risk of harm
 Minimal Risk Research
 When the risk of harm is no greater that risk encountered in daily life or routine physical
or psychological tests
 Routine review conducted by the IRB
 Greater Than Minimal Risk Research
 Thorough review conducted by the IRB
 THE INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
 IRB Impact on Research
 Extended time for approval of study
 Submissions often need to be revised or clarified
 Very cautious around approval
Issues affecting approval
 APA ETHICS CODE
 5 General Principles
 Beneficence
 Responsibility
 Integrity
 Justice
 Respect for the rights and dignity of others
 APA ETHICS CODE
 10 Ethical Standards Address Specific Issues Concerning:
 Conduct of psychologists in
 Teaching
 Research
 Therapy
 Counseling
 Testing
 Other professional roles and responsibilities
 APA ETHICS CODE: RESEARCH WITH HUMAN PARTICIPANTS
 8.01 Institutional Approval
 8.02 Informed Consent to Research
 8.03 Informed Consent for Recording
 8.04 Client/Patient, Student, and
Voices and Images in Research
Subordinate Research Participants
 RESEARCH WITH HUMAN PARTICIPANTS
 8.05 Dispensing with Informed Consent for
 8.06 Offering Inducements for Research
Research
Participation
 8.07 Deception in Research
 8.08 Debriefing
 ETHICS AND ANIMAL RESEARCH
 8.09 Humane Care and Use of Animals in
 APA has developed a more detailed
Care and Use of Animals (American
 MISREPRESENTATION
 8.10 Reporting Research Results
 8.11 Plagiarism
Research
Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the
Psychological Association, 2002b)