Deck 3: Ethical Issues in Social Research

Question 1

"Ethical absolutists" would exempt which of the following research methodologies from the requirement of informed consent

A)survey research
B)studies based on agency records
C)observations of behavior in public
D)ethical absolutists would exempt none of these

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The "chameleon strategy" used by Richard Leo in his study of police interrogations refers to:

A)the strategy he used for deciding which police to observe.
B)how he presented a particular personality to the police to gain their cooperation.
C)the strategy he used for maintaining confidentiality.
D)how he convinced the sponsors of the research to provide funding for the research.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The "risk benefit" approach to requiring informed consent is that:

A)informed consent must always be followed.
B)informed consent should usually be followed, except when it is possible to ensure confidentiality.
C)questionable practices such as deception can be used if they are essential to the research and will bring no harm to participants.
D)questionable practices such as deception should be used unless the benefits of following informed consent outweigh the disadvantages of doing so.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the major criteria applied to decide whether deception is acceptable in a research project

A)The research is important.
B)No other way to conduct the research is available.
C)No harm will come to those being studied.
D)The deception will reduce the economic costs of the research.

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true regarding deception in social science research today

A)Its use is limited to laboratory research.
B)It is rarely used today.
C)Its use is limited to field research.
D)It is used in both experimental and field research.

Question 6

When he published his study of men having impersonal sex in public rest rooms, Laud Humphreys was accused of violating which of the following ethical issues

A)withholding treatment from clients
B)violating the confidentiality of individuals
C)violating the privacy of individuals
D)engaging in scientific advocacy

Question 7

In research that involves deception, the purpose of the debriefing is:

A)to inform research participants of any deceptions that were utilized in the research.
B)to ensure that the research participants do not detect the true purpose of the research.
C)to make sure that the deception continues.
D)to ensure that the anonymity or confidentiality of the research participants is maintained.

Question 8

What stance is taken by researchers today over the Nazi era research

A)Some argue that the data should be used if it is valid and reliable.
B)Some researchers argue that social outrage against Nazi racism forbids using the data.
C)The research was a fluke of the era and we do not need restraints on research today.
D)Some argue that the data should be used if it is valid and reliable, and some researchers argue that social outrage against Nazi racism forbids using the data.

Question 9

Ethical regulations were first applied by governmental agencies in the United States to social science research:

A)in the Nuremberg Code in 1946.
B)through the United States Public Health Service regulations of 1966.
C)when the Department of Health, Education and Welfare applied the PHS guidelines to it in 1974.
D)there is still no ethical regulation of social science research by government agencies.

Question 10

Which of the following is the best statement of "informed consent" in social research

A)Potential research participants should be told enough to convince them to participate in the research.
B)Potential research participants should be told what they will be asked to do in the research.
C)Potential research participants should be told all aspects of the research in which they will participate except the research hypotheses.
D)Potential research participants should be told about all aspects of the research that might reasonably influence their decision to participate.

Question 11

Ethics have to do with all of the following EXCEPT:

A)efficiency and practicality.
B)proper and improper behavior.
C)moral duty and obligation.
D)responsibilities to others.

Question 12

Which of the following might threaten the confidentiality of participants in a research project

A)withholding treatment from those in the control group
B)a court request to see all of the data that a researcher has collected
C)an effort by a sponsor of research to identify research participants
D)a court request to see all of the data that a researcher has collected, and an effort by a sponsor of research to identify research participants

Question 13

Why is it that asking for people's written and informed consent to participate in a research project reduces the likelihood that they will agree to participate

A)because they fear the research will bring some harm to them
B)because it appears that confidentiality might be violated
C)because it appears that vulnerable clients might not be protected
D)because it appears that they will be in the group from which treatment is to be withheld

Question 14

Which events in this century served as major catalysts for efforts to codify a set of ethical standards for scientific research

A)the Nazi experiments on people in concentration camps
B)the U.S.Public Health Service study of syphilis
C)the Watergate break in and cover-up
D)the Nazi experiments on people in concentration camps and the U.S.Public Health Service study of syphilis

Question 15

Which of the following would effectively ensure the privacy of research participants

A)Offer participants the opportunity to destroy any data they wish.
B)Accord the participants in the study full anonymity.
C)Accord the participants in the research full, written informed consent.
D)Offer participants the opportunity to destroy any data they wish and accord the participants in the study full anonymity.

Question 16

According to the text, most communication between a client and which of the following professionals is NOT protected from judicial subpoena

A)physicians
B)lawyers
C)social science researchers
D)all of the answers represent professionals who have protected communication

Question 17

Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the text's discussion of the historical development of ethical standards for research

A)There have been no significant instances of highly unethical research in the United States.
B)Unethical research is likely to occur if there are not guidelines to prevent it.
C)Adequate ethical standards were developed early in the twentieth century, and research during that century was highly ethical.
D)There are still no adequate controls over unethical research in the United States.

Question 18

"Ethical absolutists" would call for the elimination of which of the following

A)survey research
B)single subject designs
C)laboratory experiments
D)deception in research

Question 19

"The ability to control when and under what conditions others will have access to your beliefs, values, or behavior" is the ethical issue of:

A)privacy.
B)confidentiality.
C)informed consent.
D)anonymity.

Question 20

Confidentiality refers to:

A)not publicly linking any particular information to any specific individual who has participated in a study.
B)people having the right to control when, and under what conditions, others will have access to their beliefs, values, or behavior.
C)telling potential research participants about all aspects of the research that might reasonably influence their decision to participate.
D)no one, including the researcher, being able to link any particular information to any individual who has participated in the research.

Question 21

An important ethical objection to conducting research on prison inmates is:

A)the inmates are not really free to give consent.
B)participation in research projects can lead inmates to experience assault at the hands of other inmates.
C)maintaining confidentiality is impossible.
D)it is difficult to maintain scientific advocacy in the prison setting.

Question 22

Max Weber's "value free" approach to science posits that:

A)social scientists should strive to apply the knowledge they produce.
B)social scientists should create knowledge, not apply it.
C)social scientists should work only under the guidance of sponsors.
D)social scientists should advocate certain value positions as the starting point of their research.

Question 23

According to the text, the danger of scientists becoming advocates for certain applications of their research is that:

A)it might violate the rights of research sponsors.
B)it might hamper the objective collection and analysis of data.
C)it will reduce the amount of applied research conducted by scientists.
D)it threatens confidentiality and privacy.

Question 24

Certificates of confidentiality are generally awarded only for:

A)sensitive research.
B)experimental research.
C)field research.
D)survey research.

Question 25

The group from which some treatment is withheld is called:

A)a treatment group.
B)a debriefing group.
C)a pretest group.
D)a control group.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text as an area of particular ethical concern in sponsored research

A)issues of control over the release of data and results
B)defining the precise purposes and procedures used in the study itself
C)maintaining confidentiality or anonymity
D)revealing the sponsor's identity to research participants

Question 27

According to the text, which of the following is among the weaknesses of detecting fraud in research through peer review and replication

A)The large number of articles submitted requires using reviewers of research studies who may not be familiar with the professional field.
B)Peer reviewers cannot detect plausible, internally consistent fabrications.
C)Because research money is scarce, funders opt to support new research rather than replications.
D)All of the answers represent such weaknesses.

Question 28

Sponsorship of research influences people's decision to participate in research in that people are least likely to participate in research sponsored by:

A)a university.
B)a government agency.
C)a commercial organization.
D)sponsorship doesn't influence people's decision to participate.

Question 29

Which of the following conclusions was drawn in Research in Practice 3.2 regarding fraud and harm when conducting research on vulnerable clients

A)Review panels and institutional procedures are now adequate to prevent serious harm to clients.
B)Researchers who detect fraud among colleagues can be confident that the government will protect them.
C)Unethical research can pass through the filters of review panels and institutional procedures.
D)Fraud is now considered rampant in human service research.

Question 30

If the potential for harm or distress exists in a research investigation, then the researcher should do the following:

A)provide neither anonymity nor confidentiality.
B)fully inform the participants.
C)avoid a debriefing.
D)provide certificates of confidentiality.

Question 31

In developing a research contract with a sponsor, it would usually be unethical to:

A)agree to publish the results only if they turn out a certain way.
B)provide the sponsor with more data than they thought they were going to get.
C)inform the participants in the research of who the sponsor is.
D)give the sponsor any control over the release of the research results.

Question 32

The text states that in field research there often exists an implicit or explicit agreement between the researcher and those being observed. This agreement usually includes:

A)the belief by those being observed that the researcher will bring them no harm.
B)the consent by those being observed to let the researcher observe them.
C)the consent of the sponsors to fund the research.
D)the belief by those being observed that the researcher will bring them no harm, and the consent by those being observed to let the researcher observe them.

Question 33

In criminal cases, the courts have generally ruled that:

A)social science researchers can protect the confidentiality of their research participants.
B)the right of the public to be protected from criminal activity supersedes any assurance of confidentiality in research.
C)any communication between a researcher and a research participant is not subject to judicial subpoena.
D)communication between a researcher and research participant is subject to judicial subpoena unless that subpoena would violate promises of confidentiality.

Question 34

In the study of sex offenders described in the Research in Practice 3.1, the researchers were directed to have unlisted personal telephone numbers and to never reveal their home address to the research subjects. These precautions were focused on the ethical issue of:

A)informed consent.
B)scientific misconduct and fraud.
C)protecting the safety of the research staff.
D)withholding treatment for research purposes.

Question 35

Regarding scientific misconduct, the text concludes that:

A)this problem has been almost completely eliminated.
B)it has been a growing problem for decades and threatens the legitimacy of the scientific enterprise.
C)many thousands of allegations of scientific misconduct are made each year.
D)although the number of cases of scientific misconduct appear to be small, they still can damage the credibility of all research.

Question 36

In the study of sex offenders described in the Research in Practice 3.1, confidentiality and privacy were addressed by doing all of the following EXCEPT:

A)using certificates of confidentiality.
B)using a debriefing.
C)providing a client advocate.
D)using special ID numbers on documents.

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT one of the mechanisms stated in that text for detecting and controlling scientific misconduct

A)debriefings
B)peer review
C)replication
D)supervising novice researchers

Question 38

Which of the following issues was cited as being a crucial ethical concern when conducting research on vulnerable groups, such as those with few social, psychological, or financial resources with which to protect their own interests

A)scientific advocacy
B)voluntary and informed consent
C)withholding treatment from controls
D)fair disclosure of research results

Question 39

The opportunity for the researcher to alleviate the impact of any distress research participants might experience occurs during:

A)the pretest.
B)the posttest.
C)the debriefing.
D)the single system phase of the research.

Question 40

The preeminent ethical obligation of researchers in terms of disclosing research results is to:

A)make sure they have wide dissemination.
B)not publish inaccurate, deceptive, or fraudulent research results.
C)disclose only what a sponsor wants disclosed.
D)publish the results only in professional journals.

Question 41

The text presents two significant historical events that served as major catalysts for efforts to codify a set of ethical standards for research. Identify these two events and indicate the impact on research ethics that each produced.

Question 42

Identify the mechanisms in the scientific community for identifying scientific misconduct or fraud and discuss their shortcomings.

Question 43

Discuss the ethical issues surrounding withholding treatment for the purpose of creating control groups for research.

Question 44

Explain why voluntary consent is an especially critical issue for researchers who are working with human service clients.

Question 45

The text notes three ethical concerns that may arise in sponsored research. Identify these concerns and indicate how they may be avoided.

Question 46

One of the more ethically controversial studies ever conducted was that on sexual behavior by Laud Humphreys (discussed in the text). Make the argument for both sides of this issue: that this study was ethically acceptable and that it was not ethical.

Question 47

What is the right of privacy in research Discuss the procedures that researchers use to protect the privacy of research participants.

Question 48

Discuss the ethical absolutists' stance on informed consent in research.Why do some researchers object to a rigid application of informed consent for all research

Question 49

Discuss the controversy surrounding scientific advocacy, including the different stances on the issue that have been taken.

Question 50

Discuss the threats to confidentiality in research that can occur because of intrusion by the courts or by legislative actions.What techniques may be used to minimize these threats