Ch2: Research Ethics Flashcards
What is the importance of IRB (Institutional Review Board)?
- To evaluate proposed studies before they are conducted
- To Ensure the safety of participants
- To Safeguard the rights of the subjects through informed consent
What protects human participants?
Federal law
Science is immoral.
False, it’s amoral, neither moral nor immoral, facts discovered through science just happen to exist.
However, it becomes unethical depending on the procedures it was undertaken.
The foremost concern in recruiting and using subjects.
Treating them ethically and responsibly
The search for knowledge is more important than the well-being of participants.
False, research that is harmful to the participants is undesirable even if they increase wisdom.
The IRB is composed of__
- Laypeople
- Researchers
- Scientists
What is the primary duty of a review board?
To ensure the safety of research participants is adequately protected.
What is risk/benefit analysis?
The process of IRB to determine if any risks to individuals are outweighed by potential benefits or the importance of the knowledge to be gained.
(Weighing process of risks and benefits)
Enumerate the 3 important reasons why poorly design research can be unethical.
- time will be taken from potentially more beneficial educational experiences.
- It can lead to inaccurate and unwarranted conclusions that may be damaging to society
- Resources (time and money) are finite
It means that the subject agrees to participate after having been fully informed about the nature of the study.
informed consent
Consent must be given freely.
True
What are the aspects of informed consent?
- Consent must be given freely
- Subjects must be free to drop out of the experiment at any time
- Subjects must be given a full explanation of the procedures and are given answers to questions about it
- Risks must be explained in advance
- Subjects must be assured of confidentiality
- Consent should be obtained in writing and subject must receive a copy to keep
What is an assent?
It is an informed consent for minors or cognitively impaired subjects
What are the relevant information that should be disclosed in consent?
- Nature of experiment
- Overview of procedures
- Length or how long will it take
- Potential risks and benefits
- What subjects are required to do
What is the overall purpose of consent?
It is to give subjects enough info about the experiment so that they can make an informed decision on whether or not to participate.
It is the government policy statement on research involving human subjects
Belmont Report
Code of ethical standards for scientific research and the basis of today’s ethical standards
Nuremberg Code of 1947
Enumerate the 3 Basic Ethical Principles in the Belmont Report
- Respect for Persons
- Beneficence
- Justice
It is the principle that maintains the autonomy of individuals and respects their self determination to the greatest extent possible.
Respect for Persons
State the Principle of Beneficence
An obligation to minimize risks of harm and maximize potential benefits to individuals
Justice is fairness in both __ of research
burdens and benefits
Who has the final responsibility in carrying out studies in an ethical way?
Researchers
minimal risk means…
A risk that is no greater in probability and severity than that ordinary encountered daily life or during performance of routine physical or psychological exams or tests
(Basically, it’s no greater than the usual or ordinary amount of pain/discomfort we encounter on basic tasks)
What falls into minimal risk category?
- observation of public behavior
- anonymous questionnaires
- certain kinds of archival research
When is deception used? What are the limits?
It is used when creating a situation that would elicit a non-harmful, natural response
- it should not cause emotional distress
- the knowledge obtained outweighs or justifies the deceptive techniques
- when there are no other non-deceptive measures available
- it must not influence the participants’ decision to take part in the research (even if they knew about the deception in the first place)
Principle of Full Disclosure
Debriefing
When is debriefing done? And how?
It is done after the experiment— that is to explain the true nature and purpose of the study.
When is extensive postexperimental debriefing used?
When simple debriefing is not enough to erase negative effects.
4 Principles that are an important aspect of ethical research involving human subjects
- Informed consent
- Debriefing
- Anonymity
- Confidentiality
Differentiate animal welfare and animal rights.
animal welfare is the humane care for animals
while animal rights are the idea that all sensate species (those who feel pain) are of equal value and should receive equal rights
What are the general standards for animal care or welfare?
- to enrich the environment of animals (non-human primates) which includes adequate housing, sanitation and nutrition
- to be provided with opportunities to socialize
- avoiding any unnecessary pain or risk
The IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) is composed of__
- Scientists
- Laypersons
- Veterinarians
What is the basic premise of APA guidelines for animal research?
Animal research is acceptable to further the understanding of behavioral principles and to promote the welfare of humans.
It is ok by law to release captive animals in the wild.
False, releasing captive or laboratory animals back to the wild is punishable by federal law
Most used animal subjects in animal research
Rodents and birds
What is fraud?
It is the falsification of data and a breach of the ethical principles.
Enumerate the line of defenses against fraud.
- Peer Reviews (Reviewers and Editors)
- Replication (falsified data cannot be replicated)
- Competitive nature (competition for limited resources means more scrutiny and looking out for potential fraudulence)
What is scientific misconduct, as described by the Nat’l Sci Foundation (NSF)?
It is the
- fabrication
- falsification
- plagiarism
or other serious deviation from the accepted practices of research funded by the NSF.
What are consequences for scientific misconduct?
- suspension
- prison term (if convicted by court)
What are the consequences for student plagiarism or scientific misconduct?
- expulsion
- failing grade
