Ethics in Behavioral Research

1
Ethics in Behavioral Research

• so you need permission?

2
Ethical Standards for Professionals

• Professional organizations publish guidelines and
  procedures to help insure ethical conduct of
  members.
• Ethical guidelines for psychologists are
  published by the American Psychological
  Association (APA).
• Guidelines for clinicians
• Guidelines for researchers

3
Ethics the Study of Proper ActionThe APA Ethics
Code concerns

• The responsibility researchers have to protect
  participants (subjects)
• to be honest to participants
• to protect their safety
• The responsibility to uphold scientific values in
  reporting their findings.
• Responsibility always lies with the researcher.

4
APA Code of Ethics

• First published in 1953.
• Current version published 2003.
• Provides guidelines for all aspects of
  psychologists work.
• Section 8 deals with ethics in research.
• View the standards at www.APA.org/ethics

5
Why are Ethical Standards Needed in Research?

• Aspects of the research situation.
• The issue of power.
• Pressures affecting the
• researcher.
• A human endeavor.

6
Ethical Decision-Making

• Difficult questions called ethical dilemmas.
• Lack of clear-cut answers.
• A subjective process peoples judgments.
• Working with a set of guidelines.
• Best resolved through discussion.

7
The Institutional Review Board (IRB)

• A committee of scientists nonscientists that
  reviews all research proposals at an institution.
• 1974 National Research Act requires IRB review of
  every study.
• US Dept. of Health Human Services requires
  review of all human-participant research.

8
Function of the IRB

• Evaluates the risk/benefit ratio Is it worth
  it?
• Relies on subjective evaluation (through
  discussion) of the costs benefits to society,
  to the individual.

9
Six Key Issues Discussed by the IRB

• Principle of Informed Consent
• Invasion of Privacy
• Coercion to participate

• Potential physical or mental harm
• Deception
• Violation of confidentiality

10
Three Core Ethical Principles

• The Principle of No Harm
• The Principle of Informed Consent
• The Principle of Confidentiality

11
The Principle of No Harm

• Types of risk to participants.
• How much risk is acceptable?

12
Principle of No Harm
13
The Standard of Minimal Risk

• When the risks involved in participation in the
  study are NO GREATER THAN those faced in everyday
  life.
• This concept is used as the standard for what
  level of risk is acceptable.
• If the risk is judged to exceed minimal risk,
  additional safeguards will be required for the
  research to go forward.

14
The Risk-Benefit Ratio

• When is risk to participants justified?
• The risks to subjects (participants) are weighed
  against the potential benefit of the research to
  society.
• The only way a study that involves risk to
  subjects can go forward is to pass this test.

15
Do the benefits expected from this study
outweigh the potential costs?

• A study with limited benefits to society warrants
  only minimal risk to participants.
• A study with potentially important results may
  merit placing participants at greater risk of
  potential harm.
• Weighing risks and benefits
• The work of the IRB
• Committee

16
The Principle of Informed Consent

• Protecting Participants

17
Informed Consent

• A researcher must fully inform or make clear
  to the participant what the research entails,
  including their rights.
• What to expect during participation
• Anything that might influence willingness to
  participate
• Any possible risk involved

18
Informed Consent (cont.)

• Subjects may not be coerced into participating.
• They are given access to the researcher for
  questions.
• They are told that they can end their
  participation at any time.
• Participants dignity and rights must be
  respected.

19
Can all potential subjects give informed
consent for participation in research?
20
Deception

• When information about the true nature of the
  research is withheld from participants.
• Used when disclosing the true nature of the
  study would invalidate the results.
• May involve the use of confederates.
• Deception contradicts informed consent.

21
Restrictions on the Use of Deception

• Deception is not permitted if risk to
  participants exists.
• Deception is not allowed in order to get subjects
  to participate in research.
• Deception is not allowed if theres another way.
• Use of deception requires that debriefing be
  given.

22
Debriefing

• The true nature/goal of the study is explained to
  participants, and they are given the opportunity
  to discuss their experience.
• The researcher takes reasonable steps to correct
  any misconceptions that participants may have.
• When psychologists become aware that research
  procedures have harmed a participant, they take
  reasonable steps to minimize the harm.

23
The Principle of Confidentiality

• Protecting Subjects Privacy

24
Principle of Confidentiality

• Participants are assured of the protection of
  their privacy to prevent social harm.
• Participants identity and responses are kept
  confidential through the use of coding and proper
  protection of videotaped material.