updated module 14

2. • Origins of the APA ethics code and its five general principles
• The role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in the research
process
• The ethical questions involved when completing research
using children and those from special populations
• Describe the arguments for and against the use of animals in
psychological research

3. ▪ Ethics – a set of standards
governing the conduct of a
person or the members of a
profession
• Watson & Rayner (1920)
Little Albert
• Landis (1924)
Rat Beheading

4. ▪ Late 30’s: An empirical approach to forming the code was
utilized; the critical incidents technique. (Hobbs
Committee)
▪ Nuremberg code (1949)
▪ First APA code of ethics (1953)
▪ Declaration of Helsinki (1964)
▪ Belmont Report (1979)
• APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and
Code of Conduct (2017 amendments)

5. ◼ Guidelines for ethical behavior for the practice of
research, clinical work, and teaching in
psychology
◼ Applies to all in the field of psychology
◼ Code contains:
◼ 5 general principles
◼ 10 standards of practice
◼ http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

6. APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of
Conduct
◼ General Principles
◼ Beneficence and non-malfeasance
• Constantly weigh costs & benefits; protect from harm; produce
greatest good
◼ Fidelity and responsibility
• Be professional; constantly be aware of responsibility to society
◼ Integrity
• Be scrupulously honest
◼ Justice
• Always treat people fairly
◼ Respect for peoples’ rights and dignity
• Safeguard individual rights; protect rights of privacy and
confidentiality

7. ▪ Identify potential risks
▪ Protect participants from physical and psychological
harm
▪ Justify remaining risks
▪ Obtain informed consent
▪ Take care of participants after the study (debriefing)

8. Judging benefits and costs:
▪ The Institutional Review Board (IRB): government
mandated for any college or university receiving
federal funds for research.
▪ At least 5 people, including at least 1 scientist, 1
member of the outside community and a minimum
of 1 nonscientist.
▪ Determines whether project meets ethical
guidelines
▪ Some research is exempt; expedited; full review
▪ Key factor: degree of risk to subjects

9. ▪ Informed consent and deception in research
▪ Consent: sufficient information to decide
whether to participate
▪ Deception rationale
▪ Desire to have subjects act naturally
▪ Impact on results
▪ e.g., Milgram (1963)
▪ No consent needed in some circumstances
▪ e.g., some survey, educational, archival, and observational
research

10. ▪ Elements of consent:
▪ Study’s basic description
▪ Enough information to decide whether to participate
▪ How long participation will take
▪ May quit at any time
▪ Confidentiality and anonymity ensured
▪ Contact information given (researcher, IRB)
▪ Opportunity to obtain final results of the study
▪ Signatures
▪ CONSENT IS A PROCESS, NOT JUST A FORM

11. ▪Historical examples of poor consent
▪ Tuskegee syphilis study
▪ MK-ULTRA (CIA & LSD)
▪Consent with special populations
▪ Children and other special groups (e.g., prisoners)
▪ Assent & special care to avoid feelings of coercion

12. ▪Treating participants well
▪ Debriefing
▪ Dehoaxing
▪ Desensitizing
▪ Participant crosstalk
▪ Code allows partial debriefing followed by full report at
completion of the study
▪Research ethics and the Internet
▪ Problems with ensuring consent
▪ Problems with conducting effective debriefing

13. ▪ Animal rights
▪ Why use animals in psychological research?
▪ Aids both humans and animals
▪ Sometimes there is no alternative (tissue,
simulation/computer model)
▪ The APA Code for animal research / The
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
(IACUC)
▪ Cost-benefit analysis
▪ Caring for the animals
▪ e.g., expertise with species, upkeep of animal health
▪ Use for educational purposes

14. ▪Plagiarism
▪Data falsification
▪ Varying degrees (all unethical)
▪ Reasons
▪ Range from individual weakness to societal moral
standards
▪ Publish or perish climate in academia