APA Ethical Issues
ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE CONDUCT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
Ethical Standards
• APA Ethics Code
– All psychologists (including students) must follow the APA guides for ethical behavior.
– The five general values or principles for ethical conduct are
• Beneficence and Non-Malfeasance
• Fidelity and Responsibility
• Integrity
• Justice
• Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity
Ethical Issues to Consider Before Beginning Research
• Prior to conducting any study, the proposed research must be reviewed to determine if it meets ethical standards.
– Institutional Review Board (IRB):
• At least 5 members with varying backgrounds and expertise.
• Scientists and nonscientists, at least 1 person not affiliated …show more content…
• Deceiving people for the purpose of getting them to participate in a research project is always unethical. Pros and Cons of Deception
• Pros: Why do we deceive?
– Deception allows researchers to study individuals’ natural behavior.
– Deception allows opportunities to investigate behaviors and mental processes not easily studied using nondeceptive methods.
Pros and Cons of Deception (continued)
• Cons: Why should we not deceive?
– Deception contradicts the principle of informed consent.
– The relationship between researcher and participant is not open and honest.
– Frequent use of deception may make individuals suspicious about research and psychology.
Deception (continued)
• Deception is justified only
– when the study is very …show more content…
• This is called debriefing.
Reporting Psychological Research
• Publication credit:
– acknowledge fairly those who have contributed to a research project.
– authorship should be based on the scholarly importance of individuals’ contributions.
Reporting Psychological Research (continued)
• Plagiarism
Don’t present substantial portions or elements of another’s work as your own.
– Ignorance and sloppiness are not legitimate excuses.
– Cite the sources of your ideas when you use the exact words (with quotation marks and page number) and when you paraphrase.
Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues in Psychology
• How do we decide whether a proposed research study is ethical? • What if people disagree? (and they will) • Is there a right answer? (often, no) • The best we can do is follow steps for making ethical decisions. Steps for Ethical Decision Making ¬Find out all the facts of the situation (procedure, who will participate, etc.)
Identify the ethical issues that are relevant (e.g., risk, informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, deception,
Ethical Standards
• APA Ethics Code
– All psychologists (including students) must follow the APA guides for ethical behavior.
– The five general values or principles for ethical conduct are
• Beneficence and Non-Malfeasance
• Fidelity and Responsibility
• Integrity
• Justice
• Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity
Ethical Issues to Consider Before Beginning Research
• Prior to conducting any study, the proposed research must be reviewed to determine if it meets ethical standards.
– Institutional Review Board (IRB):
• At least 5 members with varying backgrounds and expertise.
• Scientists and nonscientists, at least 1 person not affiliated …show more content…
• Deceiving people for the purpose of getting them to participate in a research project is always unethical. Pros and Cons of Deception
• Pros: Why do we deceive?
– Deception allows researchers to study individuals’ natural behavior.
– Deception allows opportunities to investigate behaviors and mental processes not easily studied using nondeceptive methods.
Pros and Cons of Deception (continued)
• Cons: Why should we not deceive?
– Deception contradicts the principle of informed consent.
– The relationship between researcher and participant is not open and honest.
– Frequent use of deception may make individuals suspicious about research and psychology.
Deception (continued)
• Deception is justified only
– when the study is very …show more content…
• This is called debriefing.
Reporting Psychological Research
• Publication credit:
– acknowledge fairly those who have contributed to a research project.
– authorship should be based on the scholarly importance of individuals’ contributions.
Reporting Psychological Research (continued)
• Plagiarism
Don’t present substantial portions or elements of another’s work as your own.
– Ignorance and sloppiness are not legitimate excuses.
– Cite the sources of your ideas when you use the exact words (with quotation marks and page number) and when you paraphrase.
Thinking Critically about Ethical Issues in Psychology
• How do we decide whether a proposed research study is ethical? • What if people disagree? (and they will) • Is there a right answer? (often, no) • The best we can do is follow steps for making ethical decisions. Steps for Ethical Decision Making ¬Find out all the facts of the situation (procedure, who will participate, etc.)
Identify the ethical issues that are relevant (e.g., risk, informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, deception,