Deck 3: The Ethical Treatment of Research Participants

Question 1

Briefly describe the history of ethics in psychology.

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

Name and define the three general principles of research ethics. Name and define two researcher ethical obligations associated with each principle.

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

Explain why the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA) do not include a rigid set of "dos" and "don'ts"

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

Briefly describe the researcher's responsibility for ensuring the ethical conduct of research.

Question 5

In the context of research ethics, what is the Common Rule?

Question 6

Name and define three of the factors to consider when assessing the risk of participating in a research study. List two of the factors that affect the degree of risk to research participants.

Question 7

Explain the concept of minimal risk.

Question 8

What is the risk of deprivation and why is it important?

Question 9

What factors need to be considered when designing research that involves withholding a benefit from participants?

Question 10

Explain risk/benefit analysis as part of ethical decision-making in social science research. Give reasons why risk/benefit analyses can be problematic.

Question 11

Describe two ways in which the ethical principles for the conduct of research with humans and with animals are similar and two ways in which they differ.

Question 12

Explain the principle of voluntary participation in research. Name and define the two aspects of freedom of choice as they relate to voluntary participation in research.

Question 13

If you were the chair of a new department of psychology, would you recommend that the faculty create a subject pool? Why or why not?

Question 14

Explain the difference between overt and subtle coercion to participate in research.

Question 15

List the factors to take into consideration in deciding whether an inducement to participate in research is appropriate.

Question 16

What is meant by informed consent to participate in research? List five of the elements of informed consent.

Question 17

Explain the principle of behavioral consent.

Question 18

List two groups of participants who cannot give informed consent. Explain why each group is incapable of doing so.

Question 19

Explain the concept of affirmative assent. When should it be used?

Question 20

List four characteristics of an understandable consent form.

Question 21

List three ways of motivating research participants to read online consent forms.

Question 22

Under what conditions can a researcher observe people in public without first obtaining their informed consent?

Question 23

Describe two of the factors to take into consideration when assessing the ethicality of a study of public behavior.

Question 24

Distinguish between active and passive deception in research and give an example of each.

Question 25

List three reasons a researcher might decide to use deception in research.

Question 26

List four arguments against using deception in research.

Question 27

Simulation studies have been proposed as an alternative to deception. What are their advantages and limitations?

Question 28

According to the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association, what conditions must be met for the use of deception in research to be acceptable?

Question 29

Describe three of the factors that researchers who are thinking about using deception should consider in making their decisions.

Question 30

Describe two potential adverse effects that deception research can have on child participants.

Question 31

Describe the steps that researchers should take to avoid harm to participants during data collection. What should researchers do if unanticipated severe adverse effects develop?

Question 32

What should a researcher do if a participant appears to be having psychological problems?

Question 33

Define the concept of "right to withdraw consent." List two factors can affect a research participant's willingness to exercise the right to withdraw from research. What can a researcher ethically do to persuade a participant not to withdraw from a study?

Question 34

Explain the issues that arise with ensuring children's right to withdraw from research. What steps can be taken to facilitate children's willingness to ask to withdraw?

Question 35

List the five factors that must be included for a debriefing to be considered educational.

Question 36

Describe three characteristics of an effective debriefing.

Question 37

Distinguish between the uses of confidentiality and anonymity in protecting data.

Question 38

Describe two steps that can be taken to ensure data confidentiality.

Question 39

Describe two issues involved in protecting the confidentiality of data provided by children.

Question 40

Explain the issues involved with statutory obligations to report information that arises during data collection about child abuse or threats to harm self or others.

Question 41

Describe two issues raised by the intersection of culture and research ethics.

Question 42

Explain the components of multicultural ethical competence.

Question 43

What are the minimum requirements for membership on a university Institutional Review Board in the United States?

Question 44

List five criteria for approval of research by an Institutional Review Board.

Question 45

Name and describe three elements of a good research proposal.

Question 46

Describe a research study that is likely to be exempt from Institutional Review Board review and explain why you think that is exempt.

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT one of the basic ethical principles guiding research with human participants?

A) integrity
B) beneficence
C) respect
D) justice

Question 48

The general principles underlying research ethics include

A) respect for people's privacy and freedom of choice.
B) protecting research participants from harm.
C) ensuring that the burdens of research participation and the benefits of research are shared by all members of society.
D) all of the above.

Question 49

According to the most current ethical guidelines, PRIMARY responsibility for ensuring that research participants are treated ethically lies with

A) the Institutional Review Board (IRB).
B) the person in charge of the research project.
C) the person collecting the data.
D) the institution sponsoring the research.

Question 50

Responsibility for ensuring that the research assistants who work on a particular project are trained in how to conduct research ethically lies with the

A) Institutional Review Board (IRB).
B) institution sponsoring the research.
C) person in charge of the research project.
D) none of the above.

Question 51

The role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to

A) take primary responsibility for all research using human subjects being conducted at its institution.
B) write informed consent documents for researchers to ensure that they meet ethical standards.
C) act as a disinterested party to examine proposed research using human subjects to ensure that it is being carried out ethically.
D) ensure that the laboratories where human subjects research is conducted meet health and safety standards.

Question 52

The term the Common Rule refers to

A) the three basic principles underlying research ethics.
B) the U.S. federal regulations that govern research with human participants.
C) the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association.
D) the policies adopted by a particular institution's Institutional Review Board.

Question 53

When thinking about the concept of risk in research, in addition to the possibility of physical harm, researchers should consider the possibility of

A) psychological harm.
B) social harm.
C) deprivation of a benefit.
D) all of the above.

Question 54

The concept of minimal risk means that research participants

A) are not exposed to any risks greater than those they would experience in their everyday lives.
B) are not exposed to any risks at all.
C) are exposed only to psychological risks.
D) have agreed that the risks are low.

Question 55

When thinking about the amount of risk that a possible study might entail, a researcher should take into consideration

A) how long any harm that might accrue is likely to last.
B) the extent to which any harm that might accrue can be alleviated or undone.
C) whether harm can be detected before it becomes severe.
D) all of the above.

Question 56

Researchers must examine their procedures for factors that might put participants at risk of harm. They can also reduce the likelihood of harm by

A) conducting research online rather than face-to-face.
B) collecting data in field settings rather than laboratory settings.
C) screening potential participants for factors, such as medical history, that might increase their risk of harm.
D) doing any of the above.

Question 57

The risk category of depriving participants of a benefit is especially problematic

A) when research participants are children.
B) in intervention outcome research that uses a no-treatment control group.
C) in survey research conducted in organizations.
D) when people participate in research in groups rather than individually.

Question 58

Which of the following statements about risk-benefit analyses is FALSE?

A) The research may pose risks that the researcher does not anticipate.
B) The research might pose harm for some participants while providing benefits to other participants.
C) The most effective risk-benefit analyses are based on objective considerations.
D) Researchers may be unconsciously motivated to perceive risks as less severe than they actually are.

Question 59

Which of the following statements about conducting research with animals is FALSE?

A) The researchers must be trained and experienced in the care of laboratory animals in general, although not necessarily in the care of the specific species being used in the research.
B) Animals should be housed in environments that that allow them to engage in their normal behaviors, that provide psychological enrichment, and that allow contact with other animals of their species.
C) Research procedures must minimize any pain, stress, deprivation, or discomfort that the animals might experience.
D) Researchers should use only the minimal number of animals required by the design of the study.

Question 60

Which of the following statements about requiring college students to participate in research is TRUE?

A) Alternative experiences or assignments should be offered to students who do not want to participate in research.
B) Students view offering extra course credit for research participation as less coercive than requiring participation.
C) Because requiring students to participate in research benefits science, there is no reason to expect the experience to have educational benefits.
D) Overall, students appear to find research participation to be an onerous and burdensome experience.

Question 61

Which of the following statements about voluntary participation in research is FALSE?

A) Offering large rewards for participation in research can be coercive if the reward is perceived to be "too good to refuse."
B) It is acceptable for people in positions of power, such as employers, to require their subordinates to participate in research.
C) If instructors "strongly encourage" students to participate in research, the students may conclude that they are required to participate.
D) Only monetary inducements to participate in research raise issues of voluntary participation, not in-kind services such as psychotherapy.

Question 62

Which of the following should be part of informed consent for potential research participants?

A) Any foreseeable risks or discomforts that they might encounter.
B) Any benefits that they can reasonably expect to receive from participating in the research.
C) For intervention outcome studies, any appropriate alternative procedures or courses of treatment that might be advantageous to the participant.
D) all of the above.

Question 63

Which of the following should be part of informed consent for potential research participants?

A) a description of the procedures to be used in the research.
B) any compensation for risk that is more than minimal.
C) whom to contact for answers to pertinent questions about the research or research participants' rights.
D) all of the above.

Question 64

Which of the following should be part of informed consent for potential research participants?

A) The researchers' hypothesis and how the research design will test it.
B) An explanation of any risks the participants might be exposed to.
C) Where the researcher plans to present or publish the research results.
D) A description of how the participants' data will be analyzed.

Question 65

You plan to conduct a research project in an elementary school. Which of the following is a permissible way to obtain parental informed consent?

A) Send a form to parents that fully explains the research and ask them to respond only if they do not want their child to participate.
B) hold a face-to-face meeting with the parents to explain the nature of the research and obtain their consent.
C) send a consent form to parents that fully explains the research and inform them their child will participate only if they sign and return the consent form.
D) a and c, but not b.

Question 66

In research with children, affirmative assent refers to

A) informed consent given by the parent or guardian of each child who participates.
B) the child's agreement to participate once parental consent has been given.
C) the researcher's confidence that a parent or guardian's consent is in the best interests of the child.
D) an Institutional Review Board's specific approval to conduct a research study with child participants.

Question 67

How can a researcher ensure that potential research participants understand what they are agreeing to by signing an informed consent form?

A) write the consent forms at a relatively low reading level
B) pretest the form by having members of the research population read it and give feedback on its clarity
C) read the form to participants as they read along on their copies
D) do any of the above

Question 68

The essence of the concept of informed consent is

A) having research participants sign a form acknowledging that they understand the potential risks and benefits of participating and that they consent to participate.
B) receiving IRB approval of the information you will provide to participants before you collect data from them and obtain participants' consent to participate based on that approval.
C) participants' having a clear understanding of the potential risks and benefits of participating and basing their consent to participate on that understanding.
D) assuring participants that the research presents no more than minimal risk and obtaining their consent to participate based on that assurance.

Question 69

In regard to observations of public behavior, informed consent of participants is

A) never required.
B) required if information concerning the identities of participants is recorded.
C) always required, but can be obtained after the data are collected.
D) required only if the observations are made indoors.

Question 70

Arguments in favor of requiring participants' informed consent for observations of public behavior include(s) which of the following?

A) Although people implicitly consent to having their behavior observed, they have not consented to have their behavior recorded.
B) Observation of even public behavior is an invasion of privacy.
C) It can sometimes be difficult to decide what constitutes a public venue for observation.
D) all of the above.

Question 71

In deciding whether it is ethical to observe behavior, one should take into consideration

A) the nature of the behavior to be observed.
B) the extent to which people have an expectation of privacy in the place where the observations will take place.
C) whether or not the people being observed are public figures, such as politicians or celebrities.
D) all of the above.

Question 72

Which of the following involves deceiving research participants?

A) using confederates who pose as other participants in the research
B) leading participants to think that they are interacting with another person, who actually does not exist.
C) telling participants that a personality inventory is an opinion survey.
D) all of the above.

Question 73

Researchers might decide to deceive participants about the true nature of the research

A) because participants' knowledge of the purposes of the research or the procedures that are used could lead them to give artificial responses
B) to allow manipulation of an independent variable, such as inducing a participant to believe she or he is a member of a group when they really are not.
C) to study events that would be difficult to study outside the laboratory, such as by creating a simulated emergency.
D) for any of the above reasons.

Question 74

Arguments against the use of deception include which of the following?

A) Deception is a form of lying and lying is unethical in most circumstances.
B) Misrepresenting the purpose or procedures of a study eliminates participants' ability to give informed consent.
C) Deception can harm participants by making them feel foolish for being taken in by the deception.
D) all of the above

Question 75

Which of the following is NOT an appropriate way to avoid the ethical issues associated with deception research?

A) Make sure that participants never learn that they were deceived; that way they cannot experience harm.
B) Obtain participants' consent to be deceived.
C) Study naturally-occurring behaviors in natural settings; that way all aspects of the research are above-board.
D) Use simulations that evoke the psychological processes present in a real-life situation; that way the researcher can truthfully describe all aspects of the research.

Question 76

Which of the following statements about using deception in research is TRUE?

A) It is never appropriate to use deception in research.
B) Researchers may deceive participants about research that might cause physical pain or severe emotional distress as long as they administer an effective debriefing at the end of the study.
C) If deception is used, it should be restricted to the minimum amount necessary to meet the needs of the research.
D) People who have participated in research that used deception generally report feeling harmed by the experience.

Question 77

Using deception in research with children can be especially problematic because

A) after learning that they were deceived, participants may come to distrust what adults tell them.
B) participants might not believe the debriefing that is designed to remove the deception and continue to believe any false information they were given.
C) a deception that induces children to engage in a socially-disapproved behavior may lead them to see themselves in a negative light.
D) all of the above

Question 78

Which of the following statements about monitoring participants for harmful effects during data collection is TRUE?

A) If harmful effects are encountered during data collection, the researcher must halt all data collection immediately and report the problem to their Institutional Review Board (IRB).
B) It is not necessary to monitor participants for harmful effects during data collection because all harmful effects must be identified and eliminated before the research is conducted.
C) If you have properly screened participants for risk factors, it is not necessary to monitor them during data collection.
D) It is not necessary to monitor participants for harmful effects during minimal risk research because those studies are designed to avoid harmful effects.

Question 79

If researchers encounter unanticipated harmful effects of their study during data collection, they must

A) halt all data collection immediately and report the problem to their Institutional Review Board (IRB).
B) conduct a new risk-benefit analysis.
C) obtain IRB permission before resuming data collection.
D) do all of the above.

Question 80

If a researcher encounters a participant who appears to have psychological problems, the researcher should

A) do nothing; researchers are not therapists.
B) provide appropriate treatment if qualified to do so.
C) refer the participant to an appropriate resource such as a counseling center.
D) stop collecting data to avoid causing harm to future participants who have psychological problems.