Exam 4: Ethical Guidelines for Psychology Research

Your professor says that researchers do not make ethical decisions alone. What does this mean?

Dr. Smitherman conducted a study 5 years ago, and his graduate student now recommends that they conduct the study again to see if the effect still occurs. Dr. Smitherman says, "No, I cannot do that study now; I think it is unethical." Which of the following is NOT a reasonable explanation for Dr. Smitherman's response?

Dr. Johnson is planning on conducting a study in which he observes the ways people approach each other in bars. He plans to sit at a local bar and listen to the ways men introduce themselves to women and the ways women introduce themselves to men. To avoid detection, he plans to sit at the bar and write down the information he collects on cocktail napkins. Dr. Johnson concludes that he does not need to have participants sign a written informed consent. Explain the concept of informed consent and why Dr. Johnson does not need to collect informed consent in this study.

What is the primary responsibility of an institutional review board (IRB), where are IRBs found, and who sits on such a board?

Dr. Kushner is planning on conducting a study next semester. He is curious as to whether sleep deprivation is associated with poorer cognitive performance. For example, if you sleep poorly the night before a big exam, will you do worse? Dr. Kushner is especially curious about selective sleep deprivation, where people are kept from entering REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Using an electroencephalograph (EEG) to monitor brain waves, he plans to let participants sleep until they enter REM sleep and then wake them. After the participants are awake for one minute, Dr. Kushner plans to let them return to sleep. As they enter REM sleep again, he will wake them again and follow the same procedure. He plans to do this through the entire eight-hour sleep session. The following morning, participants will be asked to take a sample SAT test. As a psychologist who primarily does research, Dr. Kushner is most concerned with which APA standard of ethics?

The aim of the Tuskegee Study was to examine which disease?

What is plagiarism? Explain why plagiarism is an ethical violation.

In considering whether research is ethical, which of the following are balanced against each other?

The American Psychological Association's ethical guidelines have principles and standards.

Dr. Kushner is planning on conducting a study next semester. He is curious as to whether sleep deprivation is associated with poorer cognitive performance. For example, if you sleep poorly the night before a big exam, will you do worse? Dr. Kushner is especially curious about selective sleep deprivation, where people are kept from entering REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Using an electroencephalograph (EEG) to monitor brain waves, he plans to let participants sleep until they enter REM sleep and then wake them. After the participants are awake for one minute, Dr. Kushner plans to let them return to sleep. As they enter REM sleep again, he will wake them again and follow the same procedure. He plans to do this through the entire eight-hour sleep session. The following morning, participants will be asked to take a sample SAT test. Dr) Kushner's decision about the type of participants to recruit should be informed by which of the following principles of the Belmont Report?

The belief that the participants in a research study should be representative of the type of people who would also benefit from the findings of the research stems from which principle of the Belmont Report?

Dr. Van Ryan is a social psychologist who is curious about how clothing affects people's perceptions. Specifically, she is curious how women who wear high heels are perceived in the workplace. Does the addition of height make co-workers take them more seriously? Are women who wear high heels seen as less professional? She is considering using an experimental design where some participants are instructed to wear high heels to work for a week and some participants are instructed to wear flat shoes. Each day of the week, Dr. Van Ryan will have the women's employer and co-workers rate how competent and professional the female participant is. What is the principle of justice? Explain how the principle of justice needs to be addressed by Dr. Van Ryan as she considers conducting her study.

What is the difference between data that is collected anonymously and data that is collected confidentially?

Which of the following events did NOT occur in the Tuskegee Study?

Which of the following is a difference between a debriefing session following a study with deception compared to a debriefing session following a study without deception?

In which of the following ways is an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) different from an institutional review board (IRB)?

Explain why the Belmont principle of respect for persons requires participants to provide informed consent.

Which of the following is NOT a suitable reason for using debriefing in a study?

What are the three primary arguments provided in favor of animal research?

Dr. Van Ryan is a social psychologist who is curious about how clothing affects people's perceptions. Specifically, she is curious how women who wear high heels are perceived in the workplace. Does the addition of height make co-workers take them more seriously? Are women who wear high heels seen as less professional? She is considering using an experimental design where some participants are instructed to wear high heels to work for a week and some participants are instructed to wear flat shoes. Each day of the week, Dr. Van Ryan will have the women's employer and co-workers rate how competent and professional the female participant is. Which of the ethical standards of the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines is most important to psychologists conducting research? Name two components of this standard that Dr. Van Ryan must consider as she plans her study.