This document provides an overview and review of key topics in research ethics that will be covered in Chapter 4, including the relationship between society and science, professional issues in research, and the ethical treatment of research participants. It announces an upcoming exam on chapters 4, 5, and 6 that will include multiple choice, short answer, and possibly matching questions. A discounted membership to the Association for Psychological Science is also announced.

1. Chapter 4
Ethics in Research

2. 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)

3. 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

4. Quick Review
• Research Validity
– Statistical Conclusion
– Construct: threats
– Internal: threats
– External: types
• Internal vs. External

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

6. Relationship Between Society and Science
• How do scientists choose their research
topics?
• Funding for scientific research
• Public interpretation of science

7. Relationship Between Society and Science
• Senator Tom Coburn, NSF oversight report

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. Treatment of Research Participants
• Fundamental to ethical research
• Ethical dilemma
– Balance risk and benefit
• IRB determines if balance is appropriate

12. 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

13. 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

14. Respect for Persons and Their
Autonomy
• Giving people the right to choose to
participate (or not)

15. Beneficence and Nonmaleficence
• Beneficence = do good
• Nonmaleficence = do no harm

16. Justice
• Who should benefit, who should bear burdens
of research
• Fairness of benefit distribution

17. Trust
• Researchers should establish and maintain
trust with research participants

18. Fidelity and Scientific Integrity
• Truthful reporting of results
• Quality research
– Valid designs

19. APA Ethical Standards for Research
• Exhibit 4.5, pp. 110-112
• Researchers must comply with the following
standards

20. Institutional Approval
• Via IRB

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

22. 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

23. Debriefing
• Post-experimental discussion about the details
of a study
• Dehoaxing
• Desensitizing

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

25. Confidentiality
• Very important in research with humans
• Anonymity
• Confidentiality

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