Deck 4: Ethics in Psychological Research

Question 1

The participant in an experiment has the right to

A) withdraw at any time.
B) withdraw only prior to the start of the experiment.
C) withdraw only if the experimenter agrees.
D) withdraw at any time only in certain types of experiments.

Answer 1

withdraw at any time.

Question 2

Except in _________ research, the experimenter establishes a clear and fair agreement with research participants prior to their participation.

A) research involving no known risks
B) deceptive
C) high-risk
D) experimental

Answer 2

experimental

Question 3

The practice of giving students course credit for participation in psychological research is considered ethically acceptable when

A) the students sign a statement of informed consent.
B) no deception is used in the research.
C) the research involves minimal risk of harm to the participants.
D) the students are free to refuse to participate or to withdraw at any time without any negative consequences.

Answer 3

the students are free to refuse to participate or to withdraw at any time without any negative consequences.

Question 4

The Ethics Committee of the APA educates _________ about ethical issues related to psychological research.

A) psychologists
B) the public
C) students
D) all of these

Question 5

Psychologists are primarily concerned with the ethics of research involving

A) paid participants only.
B) volunteer participants only.
C) animal subjects.
D) all human and animal research subjects

Question 6

Which of the following is not one of the reasons why research participants are debriefed following an experiment?

A) Any questions or misunderstandings that the participants may have about an experiment can be cleared up by the experimenter.
B) Unintended negative effects of an experimental procedure (e.g., embarrassment) can be corrected or minimized by the experimenter.
C) To provide information to participants about after-care available to them in the event that there are more lasting effects of their participation in an experiment.
D) When deception has been used, to ensure that the participants did not discover the true purpose of the experiment.

Question 7

In a recent article, Keith-Spiegel and Koocher (2205) suggest that some researchers may be taking ethical shortcuts because

A) they perceive the IRB to be unfair.
B) they are not aware that their research must be reviewed by an IRB.
C) IRB reviews take too long.
D) IRB reviews cost too much money.

Question 8

Which of the following is an ethical obligation of psychologists who use animal subjects?

A) To comply with all laws and professional standards for the care of animals used for research
B) To maintain the health of the animals and to minimize pain
C) To ensure that all those who use the animals have been trained in their care, use, and maintenance.
D) All of these apply

Question 9

In a high-risk study, the researcher must provide the participants with

A) a debriefing.
B) an appropriate phone number in case of problems that persist after participation in the research.
C) a guarantee of confidentiality.
D) all of these

Question 10

Which of the following is not true of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

A) An IRB reviews research with human participants for its ethical acceptability.
B) An IRB must include a member who is able to assess the legality of the research reviewed.
C) The members of an IRB must all be trained in scientific research.
D) All Federally funded research with human participants must be reviewed by an IRB.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT considered plagiarism?

A) taking credit for someone else's ideas, data, or words
B) using someone else's words without quotation marks or proper citation.
C) using someone else's ideas.
D) giving credit to someone else's ideas without quoting him or her directly

Question 12

Experiments involving deception

A) should never be done on ethical grounds.
B) should be carefully considered, since aftercare of the participant would be impossible to obtain.
C) obligates the researcher to explain the true nature of the experiment after the participant has been tested.
D) should only be conducted with experiments involving pain and/or suffering.

Question 13

__________ is the use of another person's ideas, words, or data without giving that person credit for his or her work.

A) Debriefing
B) Speciesism
C) Plagiarism
D) Replication

Question 14

Information obtained about a research participant during the course of a study

A) is not confidential.
B) is always confidential.
C) is confidential unless otherwise agreed upon in advance.
D) is confidential for a five year period only.

Question 15

An ethical psychologist

A) mistreats animal participants.
B) submits animal participants to undue harm.
C) ensures that all individuals using animals under their supervision have been instructed in the care of animals.
D) is not required to have specific training in the care and use of animal subjects.

Question 16

__________ means that the investigator explains the general purposes of the research and answers any questions of the participant at the end of the experiment.

A) Informed consent
B) Debriefing
C) Freedom to withdraw
D) Confidentiality

Question 17

When is it acceptable for a researcher to dispense with obtaining the informed consent of research participants?

A) Whenever there is no deception involved in the research
B) Whenever the risk of harm to the participants is minimal, they participate voluntarily, and their confidentiality is ensured
C) Whenever the participants are being paid for their participation
D) Whenever the research has been approved by an IRB

Question 18

The view that animal life is somehow different from human life is called

A) racism.
B) speciesism.
C) bigotry.
D) anthromorphism.

Question 19

If a research participant becomes upset in the course of a minimal-risk experiment,

A) the experimenter must notify the IRB immediately.
B) the experimenter must discard the data for that participant.
C) the participant is obligated to complete the experiment.
D) the experimenter must make an effort to ensure that the participant leaves the experiment feeling no worse than he or she did at the start of the experiment.

Question 20

A researcher using only animals has an obligation to

A) use only innocuous independent variables.
B) engage in speciesism.
C) avoid the use of deception.
D) use humane treatment.

Question 21

It is acceptable to make up data in support of a theory when you have other evidence that the theory is true.

Question 22

Animals are often used to answer research questions that would be impractical to test with humans.

Question 23

In a simple perception experiment, in which the color of symbols is the independent variable, little more than a general description of the experiment during the debriefing is probably required.

Question 24

Speciesism is the belief that it is acceptable to sacrifice members of other species if humans benefit.

Question 25

Debriefing means that the investigator sends the final results of the study to each participant.

Question 26

Describe the ethical issues that an investigator should consider when designing a study that induces a feeling of despair in its participants.

Question 27

Most universities and research institutions have peer committees that judge the ethical acceptability of proposed research.

Question 28

Even ethical psychologists deliberately harm animals.

Question 29

Once a study is approved by the appropriate agencies and committees, the investigator's responsibility for ensuring ethical treatment of participants is minimized.

Question 30

Discuss the role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Why is it important that research institutions have an IRB?

Question 31

In their review of psychological research, the members of an IRB will NOT consider

A) the degree of risk involved in participating in the research.
B) the benefits to be gained from the research relative to any risk of harm to the participants.
C) the procedures used to ensure voluntary participation and confidentiality.
D) the cost of carrying out the research.

Question 32

What is speciesism? Outline an argument for and against speciesism.

Question 33

Fraud pertains to both deliberate and unintended bias by experimenters.

Question 34

The ethical investigator respects the participant's right to decline to serve in the research or to withdraw at any time, as long as the experiment does not suffer.

Question 35

Describe three ethical considerations associated with research using animals.

Question 36

Debriefing participants and giving them a contact phone number and an address may not be sufficient in a high-risk study.

Question 37

Deception is used to control for reactivity.

Question 38

The double-edged potentiality of scientific knowledge poses ethical problems for psychologists.

Question 39

Unless the participant in an experiment agrees, information relating to the participant's taking part in the experiment is confidential.

Question 40

Why is it important to debrief participants after they participate in psychological research? What kind of information should be included in the debriefing procedure?

Question 41

Discuss whether you think it is ethical for scientists to make use of the results of research that has been found to have been done in an unethical way (e.g., the medical research done by Nazi physicians on concentration camp prisoners). Do you think that it's OK or not? Why? Explain your answer in terms of your understanding of the ethical obligations of researchers as well as your understanding of research design.

Question 42

A physician wants to know whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic pain. She recruits a sample of patients who suffer from chronic shoulder pain and has each participant sign a statement of informed consent. Participants are then assigned randomly to an experimental group that receives weekly acupuncture treatments or to a control group that receives a weekly placebo treatment that is known to have no effect on pain. After four weeks, she finds that the participants in the experimental group report significantly less pain than do participants in the control group. Comment on the ethical acceptability of withholding the acupuncture treatment from the control group during this experiment. Is it OK or not? Explain why.