A reference for those taking up research subjects particularly for psychology students

1. Chapter 2:
Re Ethics
By: Maria Jezza C. Ledesma

2. Chapter Objectives
• Understand the roles of IRBs and APA
Guidelines in the ethical conduct of research
using human participants.
• Learn the meaning of animal welfare and how
it is protected
• Learn the meaning of animal rights and the
views of animal activists
• Understand scientific fraud and how to avoid
plagiarism
• Become skilled at ethical considerations of
research reports

3. • Science deals with facts, with truth
seeking, and with understanding our
universe.
• Science is commonly thought of as
amoral; from a scientific point of view,
facts discovered through science are
neither moral nor immoral—they just
happen to exist.
• As scientists, it is our responsibility to
report our findings truthfully.
Introduction

4. • As researchers, we clearly do bring our
own values, ethics, morals, and sense
of right and wrong to the work we do.
• We have to deal with the important
ethical and moral questions that arise:
Is it right to uncover ways to increase
obedience to authority? Is it prudent to
investigate techniques that could be
used to brainwash people? Do we have
right to perform any experiment
imaginable just for the sake of new
knowledge?

5. Research Ethics
• Responsible psychological research is
not an attempt to satisfy idle curiosity
about other people’s innermost
thoughts an experiences.
• Rather, responsible research is aimed
at advancing our understanding of
feelings, thoughts and behaviors in
ways that will ultimately benefit
humanity.

6. • The well-being of the individual
research participants is no less
important than the search for
knowledge: research that is harmful to
participants is undesirable even though
it may increase wisdom.
(Refer to page 43 for an example)

7. • A researcher is legally responsible for
what happens to research participants.
• The researcher might be sued for
damages if an experiment hurts
someone, whether the injury is physical
or psychological, intentional or
accidental.

8. Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• A review committee that evaluates the
proposed studies before they are
conducted.
• Universities and hospitals engaging in
research will always have an IRB.
(Refer to page 43)

9. • The primary duty of a review board is to
ensure that the safety of research
participants is adequately protected.
• The IRB’s first task is to decide whether
the proposed study outs the subjects at
risk.
• A subject at risk is one who is more likely
to be harmed in some way by participating
in the research. The IRB must determine
whether any risks to individual are
outweighed by potential benefits or the
importance of knowledge to be gained.
This is called risk/benefit analysis.