CHAPTER 4

© 2012 by W. W. Norton & Company

CHAPTER 4Ethical Guidelines for Psychology Research

Detailed Learning Objectives

1. Describe the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and explain how it illustrates violations of all three ethical principles of the Belmont Report.2. Explain informed consent and the protection of vulnerable groups (applying the principle of respect for persons).3. Explain how researchers might evaluate the risks and benefits of a study (applying the principle of beneficence).4. Explain how researchers would apply the principle of justice in selecting research participants.5. Describe the structure of the APA code of conduct: its five ethical principles and its 10 ethical standards.6. Become familiar with the points in the APA’s Ethical Standard 8 (the standard that most closely applies to research in psychology).

Detailed Learning Objectives

7. Describe what institutional review boards do and who serves on them.8. Describe what deception is, and explain when deception is considered permissible in a study.9. Describe the debriefing process and the goals of debriefing.10. Explain why many psychologists use animals in research, and describe the role of an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) and the Animal Welfare Act in protecting the welfare of animals in research.11. Define three forms of research misconduct, explaining why each is considered a breach of professional ethics and a violation of the empirical method.

Historical Examples and the Belmont Report

Historical Examples

Tuskegee syphilis study

Milgram’s obedience study

The Belmont Report

• Principle of respect for persons• Principle of beneficence• Principle of justice

The Belmont ReportRespect for persons

Informed consentProtection of vulnerable populations

BeneficenceCost-benefit analysis for participantsCost-benefit for society

JusticeHow are participants selected? Do they represent the people who will benefit from the study?

Beneficence: Cost-benefit Balance

low risk high risk

Low

ben

efit

h

igh

bene

fitDo the study

Don’t do the study

Do the study?

Do the study?

Risk to participants

Benefit to society

Guidelines for Psychologists: APA Ethical Principles

APA Ethical Principles

• Five general ethical principles• Ten specific ethical standards

APA Principles Are Based on the Belmont Principles

APA Ethical principlesBeneficence

Fidelity and responsibilityIntegrity

JusticeRespect for people’s

rights and dignity

10 APA Ethical standardsOnly Standard 8 applies to research. It includes:

IRBInformed consentDeceptionDebriefingAnimal researchResearch misconduct

Institutional Review Boards

CompositionProcedures

ApplicationsTraining for researchers and research assistants

IRB procedures at our college

Informed Consent

Deception and Debriefing

DeceptionIs deception always unethical? What priorities do we balance in a deception study?

DebriefingRequired for deception studies (By APA)Often required for any study, in a university setting

Festinger & Carlsmith, 1959

Animal Research

Strict federal guidelines for animal researchIACUC committeesGuide for care and use of laboratory animals

Replacement, refinement, reduction

Research Misconduct

PlagiarismFabricationFalsification

Handout: Study Examples

If you were an IRB, would you have approved this research? Why or why not?

Analyze the research in terms of the Belmont Report, and apply APA’s Ethical Standard 8.

Ethical Decision Making: A Thoughtful Balance

Ethical Decision Making

Should we use animals?Should we deceive people?Should we study children?Should we study this question at all?Should we compensate participants?

Justice

BeneficenceRespect for persons