Chapter 4

Ethics in Research

Roadmap

• Reminder: Exam 2 on Tuesday!– Chapters 5, 6, 4– Format: MC, short answer, maybe matching– Good study guide: outlines at beginning of chapters

• Quick review

• Chapter 4: Ethics in Research (cover all today)

Announcement

• Association for Psychological Science• Discounted membership rates through Oct. 6

• Rate for undergrads: $25

• www.joinaps.org/?p=PCR13&s=join – Membership application– Promo code at bottom of page

• www.psychologicalscience.org

Quick Review

• Research Validity– Statistical Conclusion– Construct: threats– Internal: threats– External: types

• Internal vs. External

Research Ethics

• 3 areas of ethical concerns– Relationship between society and science– Professional issues– Treatment of research participants

Relationship Between Society and Science

• How do scientists choose their research topics?

• Funding for scientific research

• Public interpretation of science

Relationship Between Society and Science

• Senator Tom Coburn, NSF oversight report

Professional Issues

• Research misconduct: fabricating, falsifying or plagiarizing the proposal, conduction, or reporting of research

• You make ethical choices at each stage of the research process

Professional Issues

• Less obvious forms of research misconduct– Overlooking flawed data– Failing to present/consider work contradicting

your own– Changing your work to meet demands of funding

sources

Professional Issues

• Institutional Review Boards (IRB) require information to ensure professionalism in research:– Purpose– Background & Rationale– Population– Design– Incentives– Risks/Benefits– Privacy/Confidentiality

Treatment of Research Participants

• Fundamental to ethical research• Ethical dilemma– Balance risk and benefit

• IRB determines if balance is appropriate

Ethical Guidelines—History

• Nuremberg Code– Valid research designs– Inform participants; freedom to choose

• Tuskegee Experiment – p. 106– Accurate reporting of results; coercion

• Led to creation of ethical guidelines for research

APA’s Ethical Guidelines for Research

5 Basic Moral Principles• Respect for persons and their autonomy• Beneficence and nonmaleficence• Justice• Trust• Fidelity and scientific integrity

Respect for Persons and Their Autonomy

• Giving people the right to choose to participate (or not)

Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

• Beneficence = do good• Nonmaleficence = do no harm

Justice

• Who should benefit, who should bear burdens of research

• Fairness of benefit distribution

Trust

• Researchers should establish and maintain trust with research participants

Fidelity and Scientific Integrity

• Truthful reporting of results• Quality research– Valid designs

APA Ethical Standards for Research

• Exhibit 4.5, pp. 110-112• Researchers must comply with the following

standards

Institutional Approval

• Via IRB

Informed Consent

• Must do this• Forgoing consent—rare• Consent vs. Assent• Active vs. Passive consent

Deception

• Misleading participants about nature of study or omitting details of experiment

• Only use when necessary• Can’t use it when harm or severe stress is

involved

Debriefing

• Post-experimental discussion about the details of a study

• Dehoaxing• Desensitizing

Coercion

• Can’t exploit people• Must be free to decline or leave study

Confidentiality

• Very important in research with humans• Anonymity• Confidentiality

Animal Research

• Separate board to review animal research• Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee• (IACUC)