Ethics of Research I

Lawrence R. Gordon

Psychology Research Methods I

PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PROFESSIONMajor psychology organizations

APA -- www.apa.org -- Amer Psychol Assoc APS -- www.psychologicalscience.org -- Amer

Psychol Society

APA “Divisions” -- currently 55 (?)APA Guidelines: Ethics and Publication

Ethics for Psychologists (1994) -- 1992 codeEthics for Psychologists (1994) -- 1992 code• http://www.apa.org/ethics/http://www.apa.org/ethics/

Publication Manual of the APA (2001)• http://www.apastyle.org

ETHICS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTSGeneral StandardsEvaluation, assessment, or interventionAdvertising and other public statementsTherapyPrivacy and confidentialityTeaching, training supervision, research, Teaching, training supervision, research,

and publishingand publishingForensic activitiesResolving ethical issues

WHENCE RESEARCH ETHICS?From moral philosophy and religion

Utilitarianism -- cost-benefit considerations Deontology -- respect for human dignity

Major principles underlying modern codes: Respect for persons - autonomy/consent Beneficence - max benefit and min harm Justice - benefits and burdens distributed

fairly

Events - medicine and psychology Nazi experimentation, Tuskeegee, Willowbrook Watson & Rayner, Milgram, Cyril Burt

Consider the following study:Hypothesized that depression leads to drug

use in college studentsManipulate depression by failing some on

an examMeasure drug use by having them go to a

party where someone offers them drugsDo “fails” take more than others?Sound okay? Why or why not?

Ethics of Human Research

We can’t just do whatever we want!Protocols prepared and submitted to the

Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval

IRB needs to give you permission to do your study

What Is the IRB?Committee responsible for reviewing all

proposed research involving human participants at all schools receiving federal funds for research

Members include faculty members from different departments, at least one community member, at least one nonscientist (at least 5 total members)

And, oh yeah, “Institutional Review Board”

What the IRB Does

Its chief function: Considers costs and benefits of the research

Is the research question worth the use of human participants?

Because human participants do not need to participate in studies, their rights are the highest priority

Issues

Voluntary participation Informed consent

• need to know what might keep them for consenting

• need to be able to consent

• need to know the right to withdraw Coercion

• vulnerable populations

• payment/compensation

IssuesDeception

Is the value of the study worth it? Alternatives? [Must be last alternative!] Needs to be explained ASAP [Dehoaxing]

Debriefing Explain purpose of study remove bad feelings [Desensitizing] get information thank participants

IssuesExperimenter conduct

PI has assumes all responsibility for fair treatment of participants (e.g. by assistants)

6 P’s of conduct• Present

• Prompt

• Prepared

• Polite

• Private

• Professional

Submitting Protocols

Exempt from reviewExpedited reviewFull review

Quick look – review and more details next class!

Submitting ProtocolsFull review

study of vulnerable populations use of physically invasive techniques (e.g.

drugs, exercise, x-rays) psychological or emotional distress behavior manipulation (includes ALL

deception) sensitive data (with ID) (e.g. drugs, sex, crime) videotaping (potential for ID)

Submitting Protocols

Expedited review voice recordings (e.g. study of speech defects) studies of behavior w/o manipulation or stress study of existing documents that are not

publicly available use of noninvasive clinical assessments (such

as weight, sensory acuity, EKG, but NOT x-rays)

Submitting Protocols

Exempt from review Educational practices Anonymous survey, interview, or naturalistic

observation (no identifiers) Study of existing data, documents, or archival

records that are publicly available (no ID) Consumer surveys (ex. Quality of dining hall

food)

WRAP-UP

Profession of Psychology Clinical Research / Application Experimental Research / Application

In ALL aspects, first concern is the ethical treatment of participants, clients, consumers

IF TIME Some web sites (APA, IRB)