1. Ethics in Research on Humans
Participants must be informed of nature of research
Informed consent should be documented
Risks and limits on confidentiality must be explained

2. Ethics in Research on Humans
If participation is a course requirement in an academic setting, alternative activities must be offered
Deception cannot be used about aspects of research that would affect participant's willingness to participate
Deception about the goals of research used only when absolutely necessary

3. Ethics in Research on Animals
Psychologists using animals must ensure “appropriate consideration of the animal’s comfort, health, and humane treatment”
Animals must not be exposed to pain or stress when alternative procedures are available

4. Q1. Can laboratory experiments illuminate everyday life?
FAQ
Q1. Can laboratory experiments illuminate everyday life?
Ans: Artificial laboratory conditions are created to study behavior in simplistic terms. The goal is to find underlying principles that govern behavior.
OBJECTIVE 21| Explain the value of simplified laboratory conditions in discovering general principles of behavior.

5. Q2. Does behavior depend on one’s culture?
FAQ
Q2. Does behavior depend on one’s culture?
Ans: Even when specific attitudes and behaviors vary across cultures, as they often do, the underlying processes are much the same.
OBJECTIVE 22| Discuss whether psychological research can be generalized across cultures and genders.
Ami Vitale/ Getty Images

6. Q3. Does behavior vary with gender?
FAQ
Q3. Does behavior vary with gender?
Ans: Yes. Biology determines our sex, and then culture further bends the genders. Yet in many ways woman and man are similarly human.

7. Q4. Why do psychologists study animals?
FAQ
Q4. Why do psychologists study animals?
Ans: Study of animals gives us the understanding of many behaviors that may have common biology across animals and humans.
OBJECTIVE 23| Explain why psychologists study animals, and discuss the ethics of experimentation with both animals and humans.
D. Shapiro, © Wildlife Conservation Society

8. Q5. Is it ethical to experiment on animals?
FAQ
Q5. Is it ethical to experiment on animals?
Ans: Yes. To gain insights to devastating and fatal diseases. All researchers who deal with animal research are required to follow ethical guidelines in caring for these animals.

9. Q6. Is it ethical to experiment on people?
FAQ
Q6. Is it ethical to experiment on people?
Ans: Yes. Experiments that do not involve any kind of physical or psychological harm that is beyond normal levels encountered in daily life can be carried out.

10. Q7. Is psychology free of value judgments?
FAQ
Q7. Is psychology free of value judgments?
Ans: No. Psychology emerges from people who subscribe to a set of values and judgments.
OBJECTIVE 24| Describe how personal values can influence psychologists’ research and its application, and discuss psychology’s potential to manipulate people.
© Roger Shepard

11. Q8. Is psychology potentially dangerous?
FAQ
Q8. Is psychology potentially dangerous?
Ans: It can be, but it is not. The purpose of psychology is to help humanity with its problems, like war, hunger, prejudice, crime, family dysfunction, etc.