Chapter 4 - Ethics in Scientific Research Flashcards
What is meant by the term research ethics?
The set of guidelines that helps researchers decide how to conduct ethical research.
Hint: there are 3
What are the major areas of ethical concern in the social and behavioral sciences?
Which one is the most fundamental issue confronted by scientists?
- Relationship between Society & Science
- Professional Issues
- Treatment of Research Participants
What are the ethical issues in the three major areas of ethical concern in social/behavioral science?
- Relationship between Society & Science
- Professional Issues
- Treatment of Research Participants
* Relationship between Society & Science
-Federal funding: dictates what is studied, where researchers gravitate
-Corporate funding: bias, restrictions, conflict of interest
* Professional Issues
-Research misconduct (FABRICATING, FALSIFIYING, or PLAGIARIZING)
-Scientists are trained to search for truth… so THE MOST SERIOUS CRIME in the scientific profession is to produce FRAUDULENT RESULTS.
* Treatment of Research Participants
-Research with humans could potentially create physical and psychological harm
-The dilemma: determine whether the research study that subjects participants to humiliation, physical pain, etc. (but investigates important psychological issues) should be conducted.
Ethical Dilemma (of researchers)
The investigator’s conflict in weighing the potential cost to the participant against the potential gain for science to be accrued from the research project.
The researcher must give primary consideration to the welfare of the participant.
What is IRB? What do they do? What is their primary concern?
Institutional Review Board
They review research proposals involving human participants. A board that exists at all institutions that receive federal funds for research.
Their primary concern is participant welfare. (But the final ethical responsibility lies with the researcher conducting the study)
What is the Nuremberg Code? What are the 2 most important conditions?
**Ethical standards for the conduct of research. It was a response to two nazis that went on trial in Nuremberg.
There are 10 conditions “that must be met to justify research involving human participants.”
Two most important:
1) voluntary informed consent
2) a valid research design that has the potential of yielding valuable results
Where is the APA Ethics code found? What are the five General Principles?
It is found in the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
The five General Principles:
A) Beneficence & Nonmaleficence
B) Fidelity & Responsibility
C) Integrity
D) Justice
E) Respect for People’s Rights & Dignity
What does the APA Code of Ethics Principle “Beneficence & Nonmaleficence” mean?
Beneficence = Acting for the benefit of others (“Do good.”)
Maleficence = Do no harm to others
We should try to design research that helps and doesn’t hurt. (laudible goal…)
The IRB helps with this by weighing costs/benefits of your proposal, then approves or disapproves.
What does the APA Code of Ethics Principle “Fidelity & Responsibility” mean?
It refers to the way psychologists interact with others. They try to develop trusting relationships with others; you need trust in research… so don’t violate trust.
You can violate trust via deception, confidentiality breaches, etc.
(Examples: Tuskegee Syphilis experiment; Stuttering experiment)
What does the APA Code of Ethics Principle “Integrity” mean?
Psychologists strive to be honest, accurate, and truthful (in teaching, research, etc.)
We’re trying to acquire knowledge that will advance our understanding. To do this we need to:
* conduct quality, well-designed resesearch
* truthfully report the research conducted
Doing both of these will create solid, accurate info and contribute to a valid knowldge base.
What does the APA Code of Ethics Principle “Justice” mean?
Everyone should have access to and be able to receive the benefits and contributions of psychology. Everyone should be treated justly and have access to equal quality services.
Justice asks:
“Who should receive the benefits of research?”
“Who should bear its burdens?”
(The stutterers didn’t benefit, and were harmed.)
What does the APA Code of Ethics Principle “Respect for People’s Rights & Dignity” mean?
We need to respect the worth and dignity of everyone. Everyone has the right to privacy, confidentiality and self-determination.
Some folks have vulnerabilities that impair their decision-making. Special attention needs to be given to the rights of vulnerable groups.
INFORMED CONSENT: give the participant all the info, and let them decide to join, not join, or leave at any point.
* Young kids or folks with mental disorders need a PROXY to provide informed consent.
* Occasionally not necessary (but that’s rare)
(Covered under “Beneficience & Nonmaleficence)
What are the 3 categories of review a research proposal can receive from the IRB?
* Exempt : no :* no known risk to participants; no review needed;
* Expedited Review: no more harm than daily life or psych/physical tests (“minimal risk”); rapid review by fewer IRB members
* Review by Full IRB: reviewed by all members of IRB; anything MORE than “minimal risk”
Does the APA Code of Ethics focus more on animal rights or animal welfare?
What is the difference?
It focuses on animal welfare
* animal rights: the belief that animals have the same rights as humans and shouldn’t be used in research
*animal welfare: improving lab conditions for animals, reducing the numbers of animals used in research
This is because there is often not a substitute for animals, so the focus is on humane treatment.
APA authors have to state in writing that they’ve complied when they submit articles for publication.
Define or refute the position that participants in most psychological research studies are coerced to participate.
Discuss “freedom to decline participation” and how it can influence the outcome of some studies.
COERCION: Students, clients, or patients might feel pressure to participate in research studies when they are run by someone who has authority over them. We have to be careful not to exploit people.
For instance, professors might provide extra-credit. It sounds like some thought it was coercive, but even then most students report not minding being offered the option.
FREEDOM TO DECLINE PARTICIPATION Folks need to always feel free to decline to participate or withdraw from the research at any point.
This can influence the outcome of a study. (Example: the “detrimental impact of environmental noise” study; if they they felt like they could leave, they weren’t as impacted by the environmental noise.)
So, ethical requirements can effect research outcomes.
What is privacy?
How do confidentiality and anonymity relate to privacy?
**PRIVACY **is controlling other people’s access to info about someone.
It has 2 aspects:
1. The person’s freedom to identify the time and sicrumstances under which info is shared or withheld (Ex., I don’t want intimate details shared unless aggregrated with others)
2. The person’s right to decline receiving info that they don’t want (Ex. to know how badly they did compared to others)
No federal laws have been passed protecting the privacy of info collected from social/behavioral research.
So how do we protect the privacy of research info? By collecting anonymous info, or keeping it confidential
Concern with anonymity: removing all identifiers might now be enough; sometimes you can deduce who it is.
Concerns with confidentiality: confidentiality can be difficult to maintain due to legal stuff.
Researchers need to inform participants of the limits of their ability to maintin the privacy of the info collected.
What are the ethical issues in conducing research over the internet?
**Lots of PROS to doing research over internet (diversity, lots of people, cost-effective, far-reaching, no coercion). BUT there are potential CONS:
INFORMED CONSENT -
* When is it required? (public vs private behavior)
* How should we get it? (Is an “I agree to the above consent form” checkbox enough?)
* How can we make sure the participant provided it?
PRIVACY -
* People can be harmed when their privcy is invaded, and there are limits to our ability to maintain it. (Hackers, etc.); counterpoint, in some ways it might be safer
DEBRIEFING -
* What if the study gets cut off (bad internet, crash, power outage)?
* What if they quit early (frustrated, bored)?
* Can combat these by: requiring email address to send debrief statement; “leave the study button” takes them to debrief page
