1. The experiment requires that you continue. The IRB, on the other hand…
Ethics in Psychological Research

2. Competent research
Accurate reporting
Proper use of resources
Fair acknowledgement of contributions

3. IRB
IRB
Human research
Federal form 45
Exempt, Expedited, Full Review

4. Risk/Benefit Ratio Is the information worth the risk
Risk is defined quite broadly:
Anything that the participant is subjected to that they might not alreadyu experience in their everyday life.
Time spent on your survey
Potential loss of confidentiality in an archival study
Exposure to potential issues through your questions

5. Three standard protections
Double-locking data
Remove/redact identifying data
Provide resources at debriefing
Ensure that inducements are not coercive

6. Informed Consent
Many IRBs will have a standard informed consent from which you may model
Purpose
Standard duration
Right to withdraw
Possible consequences thereof
Potential risks, discomfort, or adverse effects

7. More Informed Consent Components
Potential benefits
Even indirect!
Any limits on confidentiality
Inducements
Who to contact if there are any questions
Principal investigator
Advisor
IRB
Many IRBs require a statement saying that the research was approved.

8. When you don’t need informed consent:
Academic setting to assess instructional efficacy
Anonymous questionnaires
To be safe, use a “Statement of consent,” containing all of the elements of the informed consent, with a statement that completing the survey indicates informed consent.
Naturalistic observations
Don’t collect identifying information (like license plate numbers)
Archival research
Good to have a generic consent at intake: “….may be used for research purposes….”

9. Deception Only used when necessary Omission vs Commission
Not always (or even often) necessary
Omission vs Commission
Can’t cause harm
The mild negative affect anagram test
Staging a crime
Not telling your client what the study is about
Bystander apathy tests

10. Debriefing Here’s when you give your participant information about:
Nature
Results
Conclusions
If you can’t just then, minimize harm
Send them an abstract (or post it online and tell them where to go)
Resources for help after the study…just in case
Local or national psychologists referral site (AzPA, APA)

11. Reporting IRB doesn’t usually deal with this part
Must report honestly and fairly
Invented data
Mistakes happen. Acknowledge and amend
Plagiarism

12. Authorship Intellectual contribution to the published product
Helping to collect data does not confer authorship
Can still be acknowledged, however.
Generally has to write a section, or part of a section
Do not add authors gratuitously
For prestige
In order to present at a conference, may need a member of an organization as an author
Order of authors?
First and last as “bookends?”
Descending order?

13. Duplicate Submission Double dipping The Poling Shuffle and the LPU
Sharing data for verification through reanalysis
Can ask the requestor to cover the cost of such
Only the data for that purpose

14. Protecting the Data Reviewing articles
Don’t shoot them down simply because their research disagrees with yours
Do not sabotage their pub and take their research!
Keep the review confidential
“Jones & Graham submitted this, and oh boy, did they mess up!”

15. Questions? Thoughts?