The Need for Ethical Principles Ethics: moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity. Rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.

The Need for Ethical Principles Four instances that created major concern regarding research ethics: Medical atrocities of World War II The Tuskegee syphilis project (1932-1972) The Willowbrook hepatitis project (1956-1970) Stanley Milgram’s obedience studies of the 1960’s

The Need for Ethical Principles Ethical questions in small groups

The Need for Ethical Principles Experiments such as the ones mentioned have led to the development of ethical guidelines by the APA. The APA adopted and published the original code of ethics in 1973; it was revised in 1982, and again in 2002. There are five basic principles.

The Need for Ethical Principles Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence Psychologists strive to benefit those with whom they work and take care to do no harm. In their professional actions, psychologists seek to safeguard the welfare and rights of those with whom they interact professionally and other affected persons, and the welfare of animal subjects of research.

The Need for Ethical Principles Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility Psychologists establish relationships of trust with those with whom they work. They are aware of their professional and scientific responsibilities to society and to the specific communities in which they work.

The Need for Ethical Principles Principle C: Integrity Psychologists seek to promote accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness in the science, teaching, and practice of psychology. In these activities psychologists do not steal, cheat, or engage in fraud, subterfuge, or intentional misrepresentation of fact.

The Need for Ethical Principles Principle D: Justice Psychologists recognize that fairness and justice entitle all persons to access to and benefit from the contributions of psychology and to equal quality in the processes, procedures, and services being conducted by psychologists.

The Need for Ethical Principles Principle E: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity Psychologists respect the dignity and worth of all people, and the rights of individuals to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination.

The Need for Ethical Principles Psychologists must ask and answer questions such as: Are we putting our participants at risk? Is our experimental treatment harmful? Is the information we will gather from our experiment worth the potential risk and harm to participants that is involved?

The Need for Ethical Principles As noted earlier, research has been done in the past that would not be allowed today. 5 Psychology Experiments You Couldn’t Do Today

The Need for Ethical Principles Assignment Complete the Ethics in Research worksheet.

Ethical Principles 1. Researchers provide Informed Consent: Give a general description of the project in which they are going to participate. Inform the participants that no penalties will be invoked if they choose not to participate. Clearly state that participants have the right to withdraw their participation at any time they desire.

From p. 26 in blue book Ethical Principles 2. Researchers are to protect participants from harm Participants should not be harmed during, or have long-lasting effects as a result of the research. Researchers should be sure that their participants are protected from any physical or psychological harm. If harm is a possibility during the experiment, it must be justified and cause no long-term harm.

Ethical Principles 3. Participants have freedom to withdraw From p. 26 in blue book Ethical Principles 3. Participants have freedom to withdraw All human subjects have the right to end their participation in the research at any time for any reason. 4. Participants are guaranteed Confidentiality: All specific identifying information should be kept in strict confidence. Results of the research should be published, but no information about the individual participants should be revealed.

Ethical Principles 5. Is Deception in Research Necessary? From p. 26 in blue book Ethical Principles 5. Is Deception in Research Necessary? Providing a complete explanation or description of the project may influence the participants’ responses. Deception may be justified in some cases if the results are to be unbiased or uncontaminated by knowledge of the experiment and the expectancies that such knowledge may bring.

Ethical Principles 6. Vulnerable populations From p. 26 in blue book Ethical Principles 6. Vulnerable populations Researchers need to consider factors such as: Health of participants Age of participants Ability of participants to understand what participation in a project may entail (e.g. children, patients with physical or mental disorders; persons with lower intelligence, low literacy, or English as a second language)

Ethical Principles 7. The Debriefing Session: From p. 26 in blue book Ethical Principles 7. The Debriefing Session: Is usually the final step in conducting the research project Involves explaining to the participants the nature and purpose(s) of the project. Participants may ask questions of the researcher and be provided with contact information should future questions come up.

Ethical Principles 8. Humane care for the use of animals in research: Animal research must follow all relevant federal, state, and local laws. Animals use must be supervised by people trained in animal care. Researchers must minimize any discomfort to research animals. Tom the Dancing Bug