1. EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Alla Chavarga
Tuesdays 9:00-11:20am 2412J
or 6:10-8:30pm 432-IA
LABS:
MW 6:10-9:45pm 3106J Kravitz  MW 6:10-9:45pm 4109J Ergun  TR 11:30-3:05pm 3106J Fein  TR 11:30-3:05pm 4109J Hazan

2. Ethics in Research CHAPTER 7
Lecture Outline
Some questionable practices; What is Ethics?
Origins of the APA Code of Ethics
Principles of the APA Code of Ethics; The Institutional Review Board
Research with animals
Scientific fraud

3. Questionable practices in Psychology research
WHAT IS ETHICS
Questionable practices in Psychology research
Watson & Rayner (1920) Little Albert
Landis (1924) Rat Beheading
Ethics – a set of standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession

4. DEVELOPING THE APA CODE OF ETHICS
Late 30’s APA: 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. THE APA CODE OF ETHICS Code contains: General Principles
APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (
Code contains:
5 general principles
10 standards of practice
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
Guidelines for ethical behavior for the practice of research, clinical work, and teaching in psychology
Applies to all of us in the field of psychology

6. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION: Meeting ethical guidelines
Identify potential risks
Protect participants from physical and psychological harm
Justify remaining risks
Obtain informed consent
Take care of participants after the study (debriefing)

7. Ethical Guidelines for Research with Humans
JUDGING BENEFITS AND COSTS:
In 1974, as part of the National Research Act, the federal government mandated that an IRB (Institutional Review Board) be in place for any college or university receiving federal funds for research.
At least five people, including at least one scientist, one member of the outside community and a minimum of one nonscientist.
Determines whether the project meets ethical guidelines

8. Review levels: exempt expedited full review
More than minimal risk
Ex: interventions involving physical or emotional discomfort or sensitive data
Review levels:
exempt
expedited
full review
Key factor: degree of risk to subjects
FULL
Continuing research
Noninvasive collection
Research using existing data with identifiable subjects
EXPEDITED
Less than minimal risk
Public observation/ public data
De-identified existing materials, anonymous surveys
Research for educational purposes
EXEMPT

9. Consent and Deception in Research
Consent: sufficient information to decide whether to participate
No consent needed in some circumstances. Some survey, educational, archival, and observational research.
Philadelphia Immediate Transport in Penetrating Trauma Trial (PIPT)
Study investigating the survival advantage of immediate transport to the hospital for patients with penetrating torso trauma
Deception
Rationale: desire to have subjects act naturally
Milgram (1963) obedience study as an example
Cover story  effect of punishment on learning
Real purpose  limits of obedience to authority

10. APA CODE OF ETHICS
CONSENT
Elements of consent: What to include on your consent form
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. Ethical Guidelines for Research with Humans
Historical example of poor consent
Tuskegee syphilis study ( ) aka Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male
N=622 poor African American men; N=431 had Syphilis
Told they had “bad blood”; given meals, vitamins
1940s Penicillin established as treatment for Syphilis
MK-ULTRA (CIA & LSD)
1953 set of experiments conducted by the CIA to investigate mind-control
Administered LSD to unwitting individuals; mostly military
Consent with special populations
Children
assent also needed
Children and other special groups (e.g., prisoners)
Special care to avoid feelings of coercion

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

13. RESEARCH WITH ANIMALS
The issue of animal rights: animals can never consent
Using animals in psychological research
Aids both humans and animals
Sometimes there is no alternative (tissue, simulation/computer model)
Most research animals are sacrificed after use in a research study. Why?
The APA Code for animal research / The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Justifying the study: Cost-benefit analysis, No plausible alternatives
Caring for the animals
e.g., expertise with species, upkeep of animal health
Using animals for educational purposes

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