Download methods in behavioral research

METHODS IN BEHAVIORAL
RESEARCH
NINTH EDITION
PAUL C. COZBY
Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CHAPTER 3
ETHICAL RESEARCH
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Summarize Milgram’s obedience
experiment
Discuss the three ethical principles outlined
in the Belmont Report: beneficence,
autonomy, and justice
List the information contained in an
informed consent form
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Discuss potential problems obtaining
informed consent
Describe the purpose of debriefing research
participants
Summarize alternatives to using deception
in research, including role-playing,
simulation studies, and honest experiments
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Describe the function of an Institutional
Review Board
Contrast the categories of risk involved in
research activities: exempt, minimal risk,
and greater than minimal risk
Summarize the ethical principles in the APA
ethics code concerning research with human
participants
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Summarize the ethical principles in the APA
ethics code concerning research with
animals
Discuss how potential risks and benefits of
research are evaluated
Discuss the ethical issue surrounding
misrepresentation of research findings
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, e.g. 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
ASSESSMENTS OF RISKS AND
BENEFITS
Risks in Psychological Research
Physical harm
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
Is Deception a Major Ethical Problem in
Psychological Research?
THE IMPORTANCE OF
DEBRIEFING
 Debriefing
 Opportunity for the researcher to deal with issues of
withholding information, deception, and potential
harmful effects of the participation
 Explain why deception was necessary
 Provide additional resources, if necessary
 Make 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 OF DECEPTION
 Role-Playing
 Asks participants how they would respond to a certain
situation or to predict how others would respond
 Simulation Studies
 Variation on role-playing that involves simulation of a
real world situation
 Honest Experiments
 Participants are made completely aware of the purposes
of the research
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
“Contracts” with Participants
Punctuality
Summary of Details to Participant
Course Credit
Details that Maintain Trust Between
Participants and Researchers
FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND
THE INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW
BOARD
Exempt Research
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
Greater Than Minimal Risk Research
FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND
THE INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW
BOARD
• IRB Impact on Research
• Increased time for approval of study
• Submissions often need to be revised or
clarified
• Very cautious around approval
APA ETHICS CODE
5 General Principles
Beneficence
Responsibility
Integrity
Justice
Respect for the rights and dignity of others
APA ETHICS CODE
Ten Ethical Standards Address Specific
Issues Concerning:
Conduct of psychologists in teaching
Research
Therapy
Counseling
Testing
Professional roles and responsibilities
RESEARCH WITH HUMAN
PARTICIPANTS
8.01 Institutional Approval
8.02 Informed Consent to Research
8.03 Informed Consent for Recording
Voices and Images in Research
8.04 Client/Patient, Student, and
Subordinate Research Participants
RESEARCH WITH HUMAN
PARTICIPANTS
8.05 Dispensing with Informed Consent for
Research
8.06 Offering Inducements for Research
Participation
8.07 Deception in Research
8.08 Debriefing
ETHICS AND ANIMAL
RESEARCH
8.09 Humane Care and Use of Animals in
Research
APA has developed a more detailed
Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the
Care and Use of Animals (American
Psychological Association, 2002b)
MISREPRESENTATION
8.10 Reporting Research Results
8.11 Plagiarism