PSYC Module 3

You are assisting a professor with a research study on student drinking at your school, and your task is to enter survey responses into a database. You are surprised to see that one student has reported consuming 12 drinks per day. This number seems like an error or exaggeration, and you wonder if you know this student. The survey does not include the student's name, only a participant ID number; however, you have an idea of where your professor stores the file that identifies each participant by both name and ID number. Perhaps if you look up this participant's name, you could share whatever "insider knowledge" you have about the student with your professor, which could help your professor estimate the likelihood that the survey response is accurate. What ethical issue(s) are illustrated in the scenario? - privacy and confidentiality - right to withdraw - informed consent - deception and debriefing

- privacy and confidentiality

To examine engagement during meals at a casual dining restaurant, a researcher observes groups during their normal dining activities at a restaurant. Should this researcher obtain informed consent?

Because this consists of naturalistic observation in a public space and there are no foreseeable risks to participants, there would not be a need for informed consent.

Which APA ethical principal is this definition? "Protection from harm for humans and animals."

Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

Which APA ethical principal is this definition? "Psychologists should build trust and conduct business responsibility."

Fidelity and Responsibility

How are the APA Ethical Standards checked for a research study?

In institutional review board (IRB), which is independent from the researchers, reviews research proposals to ensure that Ethical Standards are met.

A new researcher wants to avoid plagiarism when submitting his research proposal. Explain what strategies should be used.

The researcher should cite all ideas that aren't his own in text with the appropriate author and date of publication information and list the full citation information in a formal reference list. If a direct quote is used, the researcher should also mark the information with quotation marks and provide detailed information on the location from the source.

Which of these is the recommendation that researchers should consider methods that maximize the information acquired for each research animal while reducing the number of animals? a. Refinement b. Reduction c. Review d. Replacement

b. Reduction

To avoid plagiarism, you should do all of the following except... a. include the complete citation of the source in the reference section. b. never quote verbatim text from a source. c. cite the name and year of the source in the paper. d. always give credit when using others' work.

b. never quote verbatim text from a source.

Before any research with nonhuman animals may begin... a. the research proposal must be approved by the IRB. b. the research proposal must be approved by the IACUC. c. the researchers must complete a trial with one subject to make sure it is not harmful. d. the animals must receive the appropriate vaccinations.

b. the research proposal must be approved by the IACUC.

Which of these is the recommendation that researchers should use procedures that minimize harm and enhance well-being of the animals used in research? a. Reduction b. Replacement c. Refinement d. Review

c. Refinement

Applying gene editing techniques to human embryos may violate the APA ethical principle of beneficence because... a. it was not approved by an IRB. b. the embryos cannot provide informed consent. c. it may not always provide a clear benefit to the recipient of the treatment. d. the participants are not able to withdraw participation from the study.

c. it may not always provide a clear benefit to the recipient of the treatment.

The main goal of an IRB is to... a. review the selection of research participants. b. review government research. c. make sure there is no harm to participants. d. improve the quality of research projects.

c. make sure there is no harm to participants.

What is the relationship between the APA Ethical Principles and Ethical Standards? a. There is no relationship; principles and standards are two entirely different things. b. The two terms are interchangeable. c. Principles are specific applications of the standards. d. Standards are specific applications of the principles.

d. Standards are specific applications of the principles.

In a risk-benefit analysis, IRB members need to decide whether... a. Informed consent was provided to participants. b. Deception was used. c. A debriefing will occur. d. The potential for harm outweighs the benefits of the research outcome.

d. The potential for harm outweighs the benefits of the research outcome.

Participants in Milgram's research may have felt long-lasting stress and anxiety because... a. The study lasted much longer than a typical research study. b. They were asked to reveal personal, and potentially embarrassing info about themselves. c. They were provided with a debriefing following the study. d. They thought they were harming another individual.

d. They thought they were harming another individual.

Milgram's study would not be approved in its original form by an IRB today because... a. deception was used. b. it involved multiple experiments. c. it involved imposing physical harm through electrical shocks. d. it caused a large amount of psychological stress to participants.

d. it caused a large amount of psychological stress to participants.

The APA Ethical Principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence mean... a. service excellence. b. honesty and integrity. c. fairness and justice. d. protection from harm.

d. protection from harm.

Who on this list is not a mandated member of an IRB panel? a. An advocate for vulnerable populations b. A member of the clergy c. A community member who is not a scientist d. A scientist

?

Respect for people's rights and dignity

APA Ethical Principle that emphasizes respect, dignity, and worth of individuals, independent of their differences, guaranteeing privacy and confidentiality.

Debriefing

Following a study's completion, researchers provide participants correct information about the study's purpose and rationale. Included in the APA Ethical Standards.

Reduction

One of three strategies recommended in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals for ethical decision making in animal research. Researchers should consider methods that minimize the number of animals used in the research while maximizing the information acquired.

Justice

Part of the Belmont Report and APA Ethical Principles that instructs researchers to balance selection of participants and beneficiaries of research.

Respect for Persons

Part of the Belmont Report that dictates researchers must treat individuals as autonomous agents and provide protection for those with diminished autonomy.

A researcher explained to a participant that during the study a questionnaire would be used to measure possible symptoms of depression. Because the participant thought her actual feelings would make her look weak and might reveal symptoms of depression, she decided to answer the questions in a way that would make her appear happy and upbeat. Describe what could be done to prevent the participant from fictitious answers.

The researcher could choose to not disclose the true purpose of the questionnaire before the study begins. This is a form of deception that could help avoid biased responding, such as the social desirability bias in this example. If deception is used, a debriefing with the complete and accurate information from the study must occur before the end of the study.

Imagine a researcher wanted to study the influence of alcohol on learning and memory using a rodent model that could be compared to human learning and memory. The researcher plans to use 100 mice in the study. Explain how the researcher should consider each of the three R's when designing this research question.

The researcher should consider each of the following strategies. Replacement: If the same info can be gained through testing a cellular or computerized model, that should be used instead. Refinement: The researcher would want to use procedures that are not stressful to minimize harm and enhance the well-being of the animals. Reduction: If fewer mice can be used based on the experimental design, the number should be reduced.

During Milgram's research, when a participant expressed concern about continuing with the study, the experimenter would repeatedly urge the participant to continue. This technique violates a participant's... a. right to withdraw. b. confidentiality. c. informed consent. d. debriefing.

a. right to withdraw.

To protect the confidentiality of participant data, a researcher could... a. store participant data with a code number instead of participant names. b. informs participants that the data will only be kept on the lab computers. c. uses a qualitative method of data collection. d. analyzes the data only with trusted collaborators.

a. store participant data with a code number instead of participant names.

Which of the following is not a reason why codes of ethics are established in a profession? a. To assure the quality of the body of knowledge in the discipline. b. To establish guidelines for membership to the organization. c. To maintain the integrity of the professionals. d. To protect the welfare and rights of research participants.

b. To establish guidelines for membership to the organization.

You are designing a deception study involving senior residents at an assisted living facility. Because all the participants live at the same facility, you worry that participants may talk to each other and reveal the real purpose of the study, which may invalidate the study results. Although the standard for research studies is to debrief participants as soon as possible after participation ends, you wonder whether you should delay the debriefing until after all participants have completed their participation. What ethical issue(s) are illustrated in the scenario? - privacy and confidentiality - right to withdraw - informed consent - deception and debriefing - institutional review board

- deception and debriefing

List potential consequences imposed by the APA Ethics Office as a result of plagiarism or fraud.

- dismiss the charge - recommend supervision, education, training or tutorial, evaluation, or treatment - place the member on probation - declare a censure of the member - expel the researcher from membership in the APA

You are conducting a study on transgender individuals who live in rural areas, and the study calls for participants to complete an interview. Because the population of interest is small and hard to access, your study will have a small sample size of only 20 participants. One of the participants, Jamie, decides to withdraw after she has completed the interview. She states, "I'm having second thoughts about doing this study. I don't want the study to include my interview." You thank her for her time and debrief her, and then she leaves. Afterward, you wonder if you can still use the data from Jamie's interview. You worry that with such a small sample size, losing one participant would have significant implications for the validity of the results. Which ethical issue(s) are illustrated in the scenario? - privacy and confidentiality - right to withdraw - informed consent - deception and debriefing

- right to withdraw

The Milgram research has been widely criticized for violating research ethics. Describe the following violations in Milgram's research and why they would be problematic: beneficence and nonmaleficence, informed consent, and right to withdraw.

1. Beneficence and nonmaleficence: participants were exposed to extremely stressful situations that could cause short-term or long-term psychological harm. Many of the participants were visibly distressed. 2. Informed consent: the participants believed that they were really shocking the learning. They didn't give informed consent to participate in the research. However, as you have learned, deception studies can be a legitimate research tool if revealing the true nature of the study to participants will compromise the study's construct validity. 3. Right to Withdraw: The researcher did not tell participants that they could withdraw from the research at any time. Rather, when participants indicated hesitation or refusal to continue, the researcher pressured them to continue. The researcher used 4 verbal prods: please continue, the experiment requires you to continue, it is absolutely essential that you continue, it is absolutely essential that you continue, and you have no other choice you must go on.

A research assistant helping with a memory study realized that he accidentally deleted the data from the past 6 participants and could not recover the information. He recalls the general trend of the memory scores for participants and enters the likely scores without noting the possibility of errors or that the data were lost. Identify the type of fraud in this example and explain your reasoning.

Fabrication. Since the research assistant doesn't have the actual data and created numbers that followed the trend he remembered, this is considered fabricating the results and is a form of research misconduct.

Is gene editing a wholly ethical or unethical practice? Explain your reasoning.

Gene editing can be both helpful and harmful. The ethical principles and standards that we set will help to create boundaries that guide its ethical use.

APA Ethical Principles

General principles that serve as big picture goals to guide ethical conduct for psychologists. The APA Ethical Principles include: beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, and respect for people's rights and dignity.

Institutional review boards (IRBs)

Independent groups that review human subject research to ensure Ethical Standards are met. Included in the APA Ethical Standards.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs)

Independent groups that review nonhuman animal research to ensure that the animals are being treated humanely.

Which APA ethical principal is this definition? "Accuracy and honesty is reflected in psychologists' work."

Integrity

Which APA ethical principal is this definition? "Fairness of access and benefits."

Justice

Which ethical violation is happening in this part of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. The subjects were 600 low-income African American men.

Justice

A researcher is concerned that a participant may share critical info about a study's purpose learned during a debriefing with other potential participants, and that this disclosure could bias their response. To avoid this potential bias, could the researcher decide not to include a debriefing? Explain.

No, a debriefing must be included at some point for every study. For this, the debriefing could wait until after all data have been collected.

A researcher tells participants: "This study involves learning a new study technique and will take about 30 minutes." Then the researcher asks participants whether they agree to participate. Would this meet the criteria for informed consent? Explain.

No, although the general method for the study is mentioned, it is not clear how the new study technique would be learned and procedures could vary widely; in addition, other important info has not been provided.

A college participant is in the middle of a 1-hour research study when she realizes she is too distracted from an argument with her best friend to focus on the research activity. The participant is concerned that if she leaves in the middle of the research study, the experimenter will notify her instructor and she will lose class points. Is this a possible outcome id she ends her participation in the middle of the study?

No, she cannot receive any negative consequences from ending her participation in the study.

Replacement

One of three strategies recommended in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals for ethical decision making in animal research. Researchers should consider methods that avoid using vertebrate animals.

Refinement

One of three strategies recommended in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals for ethical decision making in animal research. Researchers should use procedures that minimize harm and enhance the well-being of the animals used in research.

Beneficence

Part of the Belmont Report that mandates researchers to minimize harm and maximize benefits for research participants.

Morality

Personal principles of right and wrong.

Informed consent

Process of providing individuals enough information about participation in a research study prior to the beginning of that study in order to allow them to make a voluntary choice to participate. Included in the APA Ethical Standards.

Who publishes ethics codes?

Professional organizations typically publish ethics codes to guide the actions of those who act in a discipline or industry.

APA Ethics Code

Provides 5 general principles and 10 standards to guide the roles and work of psychology with the goal of upholding human and animal rights.

Animal Welfare Act of 1966

Regulates all nonhuman animal care in the United States.

Why do researchers need a code of ethics?

Researchers need a code of ethics to produce accurate scientific knowledge while protecting the well-being of participants.

Which APA ethical principal is this definition? "Guarantees privacy and confidentiality of individuals."

Respect for People's Rights and Dignity

Which ethical violation is happening in this part of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. The participants were not provided with informed consent.

Respect for persons.

The data from the adoption research studies have been sealed until 2065 and cannot be viewed by anyone, even the participants themselves. Use two principles from the Belmont Report to explain ethical reasoning that would support the release if this info to participants.

Respect of persons: researchers should treat participants as independent agents who are capable of making their own informed decisions. Beneficence: researchers should attempt to protect participants from harm.

Ethics

Set of principles agreed upon by a group.

APA Ethical Standards

Ten specific guidelines that must be followed to ensure ethical conduct for psychologists. Standards important to research include those that: ensure privacy and confidentiality, participant's right to withdraw, informed consent, deception and debriefing, institutional review boards, and protection for nonhuman animals.

How are the APA Ethical standards used in research?

The APA Ethical standards should be consulted during the phases of research design, data collection, data analysis, and presenting and publishing results.

Describe how the APA Ethics Office determines the exact consequences in a case of plagiarism or fraud.

The APA Ethics Office determines the exact consequences of plagiarism or fraud by an investigation that is used to determine the nature and severity of the misconduct.

A researcher asks participants to include their names and demographic info on a research survey. Describe how the researcher can protect the confidentiality of participants.

The researcher can separate each participant's name form their data. Each participant can be assigned a number.

Replicability

There are enough details and transparency in all steps of the research process that other researchers could replicate the study on their own.

Explain any possible negative consequences of early withdrawal from a research study.

There can be no negative consequences associated with withdrawal of participation from a research study.

Describe how replicability is a strategy that can help prevent or correct fraud.

When you ensure a study has replicability, you are providing enough details and info for other researchers to completely replicate the study on their own. This includes making data from a study openly available for the othre researchers to analyze. By providing this degree of transparency, if a researcher has fabricated or falsified results, the replication would likely to engage in these practices if they know others will be able to attempt replications of their work or their own analyses of the data.

A researcher is proposing a study in which participants watch a short film and then rate their emotional reactions to the film on a brief questionnaire. In this situation, would the researcher need to obtain IRB approval before conducting the study? Explain.

Yes, IRB approval would be required because the research study involves human research participants. IRB review not only ensures the safety of participants, but also makes sure that the research will adhere to all Ethical Principles.

A 2-month research study is near completion. Explain whether a participant can still withdraw participation at this point.

Yes, they always can

When designing a research study, a psychologist should consult the _____ 1st as they consider specific applications of ethical guidelines. a. APA ethical standards b. APA ethical principles c. Tuskegee report d. Animal welfare act

a. APA ethical standards

A research team is conducting a study in which they must collect participants' blood samples. To minimize risks, the research team ensures that their staff is well-trained, and provides the participants with safety recommendations such as drinking plenty of fluids before the blood draw. Here, the research team is guided by the ethical principle of a. Beneficence b. Respect for Persons c. Justice d. Fidelity and Responsibility

a. Beneficence

Dr. Melendez is working on a research proposal to investigate the influence of social media on self-esteem. When designing the informed consent document, Dr. Melendez should include... Select all that apply. a. Potential risks and benefits from participation in the research study. b. The right to decline participation and withdraw once research has started. c. The procedures or tasks that the participant will complete during the research study. d. Background research on the study topic.

a. Potential risks and benefits from participation in the research study. b. The right to decline participation and withdraw once research has started. c. The procedures or tasks that the participant will complete during the research study.

A research participant completed 3 lengthy questionnaires and provided info on her study habits, social activities, and academic performance. After submitting the questionnaires, the participant is expressing concern with the APA Ethical Standard of... a. Privacy and confidentiality. b. Deception. c. Fidelity and Responsibility. d. Justice.

a. Privacy and confidentiality.

When the researcher is conscientious about creating a clear, understandable informed consent, the researcher is applying the principle of _______ from the Belmont Report. a. Respect for persons. b. Justice. c. Beneficence d. Privacy

a. Respect for persons.

When is deception most likely to be considered appropriate in research? a. When revealing the study's true procedure and/or goals would cause participants' responses to be biased. b. When the research involves vulnerable populations. c. When participants indicate that they are not bothered by deception. d. When the researcher verifies that it's appropriate.

a. When revealing the study's true procedure and/or goals would cause participants' responses to be biased.

The methods of the identical triplet study were not ethical. Could a researcher study the effects of nature and nurture on development with identical twins in an ethically responsible way? a. Yes, by using methods that would have IRB approval and providing participants (or their caregivers) with informed consent. b. No, it would be too difficult to recruit subjects for this type of study. c. No, it would be impossible to ethically conduct adoption research. d. Yes, but only by explaining the exact hypothesis and procedures to participants.

a. Yes, by using methods that would have IRB approval and providing participants (or their caregivers) with informed consent.

Deception occurs when... a. the information initially provided to the participants is incomplete or inaccurate. b. information is provided at the end of the project to correct any misinformation. c. individuals are provided enough information about the project to make a decision to participate. d. researchers protect participants' rights.

a. the information initially provided to the participants is incomplete or inaccurate.

When obtaining informed consent, which of the following would not be considered a vulnerable participant? a. An adult with an intellectual disability b. An adult over the age of 65 c. A child d. A prisoner

b. An adult over the age of 65

When must IRB review occur? a. While the study is being conducted b. Before the study begins c. IRB review is only required if a study involves deception d. Before the study results are published

b. Before the study begins

If gene editing could be used in a way that would prevent degenerative diseases, without any unintended consequences, it may meet the Belmont Report principle of... a. Respect for persons b. Beneficence c. Justice d. Responsibility.

b. Beneficence

The example of the identical triplet adoption research was not submitted to an IRB approval when the study was initiated in the 1960s. This type of study would not be approved by an IRB today due to... Select all that apply. a. The ethical principle of refinement b. No indication of participant right to withdraw. c. The potential harm and lack of benefits for research participants. d. The absence of a debriefing.

b. No indication of participant right to withdraw. c. The potential harm and lack of benefits for research participants. d. The absence of a debriefing.

Which of these is(are) required by the IRB when gaining informed consent from a participant? a. Participants must be informed about the expected outcome of the study. b. Participants must be able to make a voluntary choice to participate. c. Participants can only withdraw from the study at any time before data collection begins. d. Participants must be informed about possible deception before the study begins.

b. Participants must be able to make a voluntary choice to participate.

Which of the following is true of a research study that involves potential risks to participants? a. It can undergo expedited IRB review b. It can be considered exempt from IRB review c. A full IRB review of the goals and methods is required d. It cannot be conducted as it will not be approved by the IRB

c. A full IRB review of the goals and methods is required

Which of these is an example of fraud? a. Discarding the data of a participant upon their request. b. Acknowledging the original source of information. c. Distorting data analysis and misreporting results. d. Making data available in a public database.

c. Distorting data analysis and misreporting results.

What is the best way to prevent plagiarism and fraud in research? a. Strict criminal penalties b. Relying on one's supervisor for ethical decisions c. Education and training d. Working with a team of researchers

c. Education and training

Dr. Lumberg prioritized presenting complete and accurate info to his research participants before, during, and after a study. He also consistently presented his results in publications using honest interpretations of his data. These behaviors are in line with the APA ethical principle of... a. Respect b. Fidelity. c. Integrity. d. Justice.

c. Integrity.

The APA may recommend a penalty for a member who has committed plagiarism or fraud. Which of these is not an example of a possible penalty? a. Expulsion from the APA b. Placing on probation c. Prohibition of all research activities d. Recommended supervision, education, or training

c. Prohibition of all research activities

Dr. Singh develops a new, minimally invasive procedure to study surgical procedures in mice. Using this technique is in line with the nonhuman animal research strategy of... a. Replacement b. Restoration c. Refinement d. Reduction

c. Refinement

Which of these is the recommendation that researchers should consider methods that avoid using vertebrate animals when invertebrates or computer models are available? a. Review b. Refinement c. Replacement d. Reduction

c. Replacement

Which of these is not an example of fraud? a. Not reporting conflicts of interest b. Fabricating data c. Striving to replicate research d. Falsifying data

c. Striving to replicate research

Often a participant must be deceived to hide a study's true purpose and to avoid biased responding. In these cases... a. debriefing is recommended, but not required. b. an agreement to participate in a deception study must be made during the informed consent. c. debriefing is required before the study is concluded. d. the study cannot be conducted.

c. debriefing is required before the study is concluded.

Which of these terms describe a set of principles agreed upon by a group? a. responsibilities b. rights c. ethics d. morals

c. ethics

Which of the following would not be a violation of an APA Ethical Standard? a. A researcher does not provide a participant with any information before recruiting them for a study. b. A researcher pressures a participant to continue in spite of their discomfort. c. A researcher discloses personal information about a participant without their consent. d. A researcher initially deceives a participant to conceal the true purpose of the study.

d. A researcher initially deceives a participant to conceal the true purpose of the study.

When can a participant withdraw from a research study? a. Only at the beginning of the study b. Only at the end of the study c. Only during a break in the study d. At any time

d. At any time

Which of the following is NOT a recommended way to prevent fraud? a. Teach ethics to students. b. Participate in national training and obtain a certificate. c. Replicate research and use public databases. d. Create data when the original results do not fit the hypotheses.

d. Create data when the original results do not fit the hypotheses.

Which of these is not one of the core principles for ethical research in The Belmont Report? a. Respect for Persons b. Justice c. Beneficence d. Fidelity and Responsibility

d. Fidelity and Responsibility

How might gene editing violate the APA ethical principle of justice? a. If gene editing is done without an individual's consent b. If gene editing is used to prevent harm c. If only wealthy individuals can afford gene editing procedures d. If gene editing does not offer a clear benefit to the individual

d. If gene editing does not offer a clear benefit to the individual.

Which of these was a practice in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study? a. Participants were given a choice to withdraw. b. Participants gave informed consent. c. Participants were given a choice to participate. d. Participants were not treated for syphilis.

d. Participants were not treated for syphilis.

The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (National Research Council, 2011) recommends what three strategies to make ethical decisions regarding animal research, known as the three Rs? a. Refinement, review, and replacement b. Recognition, restoration, and random selection c. Reduction, research, and rewrite d. Replacement, refinement, and reduction

d. Replacement, refinement, and reduction

Dr. Xang told participants that they were taking part in a memory study and explained the general procedures and risks and benefits to them, instead of presenting them with a formal informed consent form. This would be a violation of the APA Ethical Standard of informed consent because the... a. confidentiality of participants was not respected. b. participants were deceived. c. participants' signatures were not obtained. d. participants were not told they had the right to withdraw at any time.

d. participants were not told they had the right to withdraw at any time.

What is the general principle that psychologists should build trust, conduct their business professionally, cooperate with other psychologists, and provide responsible services? a. Justice b. Integrity c. Beneficence and nonmaleficence d. Respect for people's rights and dignity e. Fidelity and responsibility

e. Fidelity and responsibility

Integrity

APA Ethical Principle that focuses on the importance of accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness in the work of psychologists.

Beneficence and nonmaleficence

APA Ethical Principle that mandates protection from harm, based on the welfare and rights of humans and the welfare of animals.

Fidelity and responsibility

APA Ethical Principle that suggests that psychologists build trust, conduct their business professionally, cooperate with others, and provide responsible services.

Which ethical violation is happening in this part of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. The infected men were never given adequate treatment for their disease. Even when a cure was discovered, researchers did not tell the men about it or offer it to them.

Beneficence

Right to withdraw

Even after individuals agree to participate in research, they may change their minds and opt out of the project at any point with no negative consequences. Included in the APA Ethical Standards.

Deception

When the information initially provided to participants in a research study is incomplete or inaccurate in order to prevent participants from knowing the true purpose of the study. Included in the APA Ethical Standards.

Informed consent form

A factual document that contains the required informed consent information and may require a participant's signature.

Falsification

A type of fraud that involves altering research materials, processes, or results so the research recorded or presented is not a true representation of the research.

Fabrication

A type of fraud that involves making up dating or results and reporting them.

Conflict of Interest

A type of fraud that involves not disclosing when a researcher's perspective or situation may influence the outcome of a study.

Belmont Report

Contains ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. Consists of three core principles: respect for persons, beneficence, justice.

Intellectual property rights

Creations of the mind that are considered a product (i.e., property) of an individual.

Describe an example of when deception may be used appropriately in research and why it would not be an APA Ethical standard violation.

Deception may be used in research studies to prevent participants from knowing the true purpose of the study. It would not be an Ethical Standard violation if, by the end of the study, researchers provided participants with correct info during the debriefing.

An individual is unsure about whether or not to participate in a research study since she knows other researchers in this research group and would be embarrassed to have her personal info from the study shared with them. State an approach the researcher could use to build trust with the individual.

During informed consent, info concerning privacy and confidentiality should be shared with potential participants. This should include informing participants about how identifying info will be separated from any data provided and how the identifying info will be kept private.

A researcher wants to perform an observational study with shelter dogs to measure their anxious behaviors when visitors walk through the hallways. The researcher plans to set up a video camera to observe the dogs during certain times of the day and will have limited physical interaction with the animals. State whether or not this study should be reviewed by the IACUC. Explain.

The IACUC should review all research studies with nonhuman animals to make sure all state and federal guidelines are met. Even though the study is observational, the IACUC would still want to make sure that the animals are being treated humanely during the research study.

A researcher is hesitant to submit his research proposal to the IRB because it deals with a controversial topic. He also knows that other researchers in his department do not support his research ideas. Explain how knowledge of IRB membership and procedures could help to alleviate these fears.

The IRB is made up of members with different areas of expertise so that they can analyze multiple aspects of an issue before making a decision. So, even if 1 of the researchers who does not support the proposal is a part of the IRB, that person alone couldn't prevent approval of the research study.

In a proposed research study, participants will first write a description of an emotionally negative event from their childhood, such as something that left them feeling especially sad or frightened. This task will likely produce feelings of anxiety in participants. Explain how an IRB would use risk-benefit analysis to review the proposal.

The IRB would weigh the potential study benefits against the potential study harm to make a decision.

Fraud

The misinterpretation of facts, or lying.

Deception can be used ethically in research studies. Describe the problem with the kind of deception used in the triplet study.

The participants in the adoption study were deceived about the true purpose. Unlike a typical study, however, the deception was ongoing and likely would never have ended if the triplets hadn't discovered the secretive research on their own. Further, no debriefing was ever provided to participants. Even after the participants discovered their role in the research study, they were never granted access to their own data from the study.

Privacy and confidentiality

The practice of not disclosing personal or identifying information about a participant beyond what is necessary for carrying out the study. Included in the APA Ethical Standards.

Risk-benefit analysis

The procedure an institutional review board uses for deciding if the potential harm of a research study outweighs the benefits of the research outcome.

A new medical procedure may help to shorten recovery time following a surgery. However, since the new procedure is expensive, the clinical trials to test the effectiveness are only offered to those who can afford the procedure. Explain which principle of the Belmont Report this would violate and why.

This would violate the principle of justice because only certain (wealthy) individuals would be offered the chance to participate in this research; it would not be offered equally to all individuals receiving surgery who might benefit from the possible shortened recovery time.

A researcher fails to provide participants with the details of a research study and does not obtain the participants' consent to be included in the study. Explain which principle of the Belmont Report this would violate and why.

This would violate the principle of respect for persons because the participants aren't being treated as autonomous individuals who are able to determine their goals and courses of action; instead. participation is forced upon participants without their consent or providing proper info.

Three Rs

Three strategies for making ethical decisions regarding animal research including replacement, refinement, and reduction.

Explain why the Belmont Report was created.

To provide a set of ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research.

Plagiarism

Use of the words, ideas, processes, or results of others without properly citing the source.

Social desirability

When participants try to guess the true purpose of a study, they may change their response to avoid sharing something they feel may make them look bad.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

When participants try to guess the true purpose of a study, they may change their response to what they think should be the answer.