Ethics in psychological science

Question 1

Are there many questions that researchers in psychology will never be able to answer definitively due to unethical experimentation?

Answer 1

TRUE

The welfare of participants must come first!

Question 2

Are stress, pain, suffering, and termination of life never permitted in animal psychological research?

Answer 2

FALSE

These things are permitted, but only if there is no alternative procedure available.

Question 3

Can a participant in psychological research be asked to accept risks larger than those faced in everyday life?

Answer 3

FALSE

Participants can only be asked to accept small risks, such as those they would face in their everyday lives (minor pain, minor stress, minor embarrassment, etc.)

Question 4

Do participants in psychological research have the right to leave the study at any time without penalty?

Answer 4

yes

Participants should feel free to leave at any time. Should they choose to stop participating in the research, they cannot be penalized in any way.

Question 5

Does the ethical principle of informed consent prevent the use of deception in psychological research?

Answer 5

FALSE

In research, participants can be deceived. However, the deception cannot cause significant risk to the participant’s welfare.

Question 6

Is it true that results of experiments generally report average results to respect confidentiality?

Answer 6

TRUE

Question 7

Would the Milgram experiment be considered ethical by today’s standards?

Answer 7

FALSE

The Milgram experiment violated numerous ethical principles.

Question 8

What must participants be made aware of to give informed consent?

Answer 8

Participants must be made aware of risks that might be involved in the experiment (anything that might be painful, embarrassing, or unpleasant).

Deception can be used in psychological research, but researchers cannot deceive participants with regards to any risks involved (even though they are small risks).

Question 9

What was the ethical status of the Milgram experiment?

Answer 9

The Milgram experiment was highly unethical and would never be conducted by a psychologist today.

Question 10

What is a risk-benefit analysis in psychological research?

Answer 10

Participants cannot face high level risks (physical danger, emotional trauma, etc.) greater than those in everyday life.

Question 11

What psychological harm did participants experience in the Milgram experiment?

Answer 11

Participants experienced a great deal of anxiety and stress, with one participant described as a ‘twitching, stuttering wreck’.

Milgram (1963) p. 377

Question 12

What is informed consent?

Answer 12

Participants must agree to participate and be aware of the risks involved.

Question 13

How was informed consent violated in the Milgram study?

Answer 13

Participants were not told about the risks to their psychological well-being in advance.

Question 14

What does freedom to withdraw mean in psychological research?

Answer 14

Participants must know they can leave an experiment at any time without penalty.

Question 15

How was the freedom to withdraw undermined in the Milgram experiment?

Answer 15

The experimenter pressured participants to continue, making them feel they could not leave.

Question 16

What is the principle of debriefing?

Answer 16

Psychologists must undo any changes they caused during the experiment.

Question 17

Was debriefing effective in the Milgram experiment?

Answer 17

Debriefing did not undo the extreme psychological stress participants experienced.

Question 18

What is confidentiality in psychological research?

Answer 18

Psychologists must keep participant information confidential.

Question 19

Was confidentiality violated in the Milgram experiment?

Answer 19

There is no reason to believe that Milgram violated the principle of confidentiality.

Question 20

What is the longstanding practice in psychological research?

Answer 20

The use of non-human animals in psychological research.

Question 21

Why are animal models used in research?

Answer 21

They allow researchers to carefully manipulate environmental factors to understand their contribution to behavior.

Question 22

What belief underlies the ethical considerations of using animals in research?

Answer 22

Human life is considered more valuable than animal life.

Question 23

What factors contribute to a being’s moral status?

Answer 23

Moral status can come in degrees based on rational nature and capacity to suffer.

Question 24

What must researchers consider regarding animal welfare?

Answer 24

Researchers must ensure the comfort, health, and humane treatment of animals.

Question 25

Under what conditions is stress, pain, or suffering permitted in animal research?

Answer 25

Only if there is no alternative procedure available.

Question 26

What is required before researchers can begin their projects?

Answer 26

Projects must be approved by an ethics committee.

Question 27

What is a risk-benefit analysis in ethical guidelines?

Answer 27

Participants cannot face risks larger than those in everyday life, and any minor risk must be outweighed by potential benefits.

Question 28

What is informed consent?

Answer 28

Participants must give consent and be informed about key aspects of the experiment before signing.

Question 29

Can deception be used in psychological research?

Answer 29

Yes, but it cannot harm participants or put them at risk of severe stress or trauma.

Question 30

What rights do participants have regarding their involvement in a study?

Answer 30

Participants must be informed they can withdraw at any time without negative consequences.

Question 31

What is the purpose of debriefing after an experiment?

Answer 31

Participants must be informed of the true purpose and methods of the experiment and restored to their prior state.

Question 32

How must participant data be handled?

Answer 32

Data must be kept confidential unless an agreement has been made with the participant.