Chapter 3

justice

The third ethical principle defined in the Belmont Report, addresses issues of fairness in receiving the benefits of research as well as bearing the burdens of accepting risks.

risk-benefit analysis

In decisions about the ethics of research, we must calculate potential risks and benefits that are likely to result.

role-playing

In this procedure, the experimenter describes a situation to participants and then asks them how they would respond to the situation.

debriefing

Occurs after the completion of the study. Opportunity for the researcher to deal with issues of withholding information, deception, and potential harmful effects of participation.

deception

Occurs when there is active misrepresentation of information.

informed consent

Potential participants in a research project should be provided with all information that might influence their decision of whether to participate.

beneficence

Principle in the Belmont Report that refers to the need for research to maximize benefits and minimize any possible harmful effects of participation.

autonomy

Principle of "respect for persons" states that participants are treated as autonomous; they are capable of making deliberate decisions about whether to participate in research.

APA Ethics Code

Provided leadership in formulating ethical principles and standards by the APA.

plagiarism

Refers to misrepresenting another's work as your own.

exempt research

Research where there is no risk is exempt from review, anonymous questionnaires, surveys, and educational tests are all considered this.

confidentiality

Researchers should protect privacy by keeping all data locked in a secure place.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Responsible for the review of research conducted within the institution.

risks

Risks to participants that include such factors as psychological or physical harm and loss of confidentiality.

minimal risk

Second type of research activity which means that the risks of harm to participants are no greater than risks encountered in daily life or in routine physical or psychological tests.

honest experiments

Situations in which behavior could be studied without elaborate deception.

fraud

The fabrication of data.

simulation

A different type of role-playing that uses a real-world situation. Can be used to examine conflict between competing individuals, driving behavior using driving simulators, or jury deliberation, for example.