1: Introduction and Research Methods

1.6 Ethics in Psychological Research

KEY THEME

Psychological research conducted in the United States is subject to ethical guidelines developed by the American Psychological Association (APA).

KEY QUESTIONS

What are five key provisions of the APA ethics code for research involving humans?
Why do psychologists sometimes conduct research with nonhuman animal subjects?

What might happen if you were to volunteer to participate in a psychology experiment or study? Are psychologists allowed to manipulate or control you without your knowledge or consent? Could a psychologist force you to reveal your innermost secrets? Could he or she administer electric shocks?

The answer to all these questions is “no.” The American Psychological Association (APA) has developed a strict code of ethics for conducting research with both human and animal subjects. This code is contained in a document called Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA, 2002, 2010). You can download a copy of the document at the Web site www.apa.org/ethics.

MYTH !lhtriangle! SCIENCE

Is it true that psychologists can trick you into taking part in a study?

In general, psychologists must respect the dignity and welfare of participants. Psychologists cannot deceptively expose research participants to dangerous or harmful conditions that might cause either physical or emotional harm. At most institutions, any psychological research using human or animal subjects is scrutinized by an institutional review board before approval is granted (Fisher & Vacanti-Shova, 2012).

Here are highlights of five key provisions in the most recent APA ethical principles regulating research with human participants:

The Shocking Treatment of Research Participants? Could a psychologist ethically conduct an experiment in which research participants were instructed to shock another person for incorrect answers on a memory test? This photo is taken from an actual psychology experiment conducted by Stanley Milgram in the early 1960s. To find out more, stay tuned: We discuss Milgram’s research in detail in Chapter 11, Social Psychology. Today’s psychologists are required to follow stringent ethical guidelines developed by the American Psychological Association.

Informed consent and voluntary participation. The psychologist must inform the participants of the purpose of the research, including significant factors that might influence a person’s willingness to participate in the study, such as potential risks, discomfort, or unpleasant emotional experiences. The psychologist must also explain that participants are free to decline to participate or to withdraw from the research at any time.
Students as research participants. When research participation is a course requirement or an opportunity for extra credit, the student must be given the choice of an alternative activity to fulfill the course requirement or earn extra credit.
The use of deception. Psychologists can use deceptive techniques as part of the study only when two conditions have been met: (1) when it is not feasible to use alternatives that do not involve deception and (2) when the potential findings justify the use of deception because of their scientific, educational, or applied value.
Confidentiality of information. In their writing, lectures, or other public forums, psychologists may not disclose personally identifiable information about research participants.
Information about the study and debriefing. All participants must be provided with the opportunity to obtain information about the nature, results, and conclusions of the research. Psychologists are also obligated to debrief the participants and to correct any misconceptions that participants may have had about the research.

Psychological Research Helping Animals Comparative psychologist Rebecca Snyder is the curator of giant panda research and management at Zoo Atlanta. Collaborating with scientists at Chengdu Zoo in Sichuan province in China, Snyder and her colleagues have studied topics as diverse as spatial memory in adult giant pandas, play behavior in cubs, and reproductive behavior (Charlton & others, 2010; Perdue & others, 2009; M. Wilson & others, 2009). Knowledge gained from such research not only improves the quality of life of pandas in zoos, but also can be applied to conservation efforts in the wild (Maple, 2006, 2007). Many zoos consult comparative psychologists to help design appropriate housing and enrichment activities for all sorts of animals. For more on the giant panda psychological and behavioral research at Zoo Atlanta, visit: www.zooatlanta.org/conservation_giant_panda_research.htm

Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta

What about research involving nonhuman animal subjects? Only a fraction of psychological research studies conducted in a given year involve animal subjects—typically about 7 to 8 percent. About 90 percent of those studies involve rodents or birds, typically rats, mice, and pigeons. Why are animals used in psychological research? Here are a few of the main reasons:

1. Many psychologists are interested in the study of animal behavior for its own sake.

The branch of psychology that focuses on the study of the behavior of nonhuman animals is called comparative psychology. Some psychologists also do research in animal cognition, which is the study of animal learning, memory, thinking, and language (Wasserman & Zentall, 2006). And research is also pursued for its potential to the animals themselves. For example, psychological research on animal behavior has been used to improve the quality of life of animals in zoos and to increase the likelihood of survival of endangered species in the wild (Blumstein & Fernandez-Juricic, 2010; Goulart & others, 2009).

comparative psychology

The branch of psychology that studies the behavior of different animal species.

2. Animal subjects are sometimes used for research that could not feasibly be conducted on human subjects.

There are many similarities between human and animal behavior, but animal behavior tends to be less complex. Thus, it is sometimes easier to identify basic principles of behavior by studying animals. Psychologists can also observe some animals throughout their entire lifespan. To track such changes in humans would take decades of research. Finally, psychologists can exercise greater control over animal subjects than over human subjects. If necessary, researchers can control every aspect of the animals’ environment and even their genetic background (Ator, 2005).

The use of nonhuman animal subjects in psychological research is also governed by specific ethical guidelines (APA, 2011; Perry & Dess, 2012). The American Psychological Association publishes the Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the Care and Use of Animals, which you can read at http://www.apa.org/science/leadership/care/guidelines.aspx. The APA guidelines for animal care have been praised as being the most comprehensive set of guidelines of their kind. In addition, psychologists must adhere to federal and state laws governing the use and care of research animals.

Test your understanding of The Experimental Method and Ethics with .

1.6.1 Closing Thoughts

Remember the students in the chapter Prologue who wanted help with studying for tests? Many students come to psychology courses with questions about personal experiences, seeking help for common problems or explanations for common and uncommon behaviors. As you’ll see throughout this book, psychological research has produced many useful insights into behavior and mental processes. At the end of each chapter, we present research-based strategies that you can implement to improve your everyday life.

At several points in this chapter, we’ve described research on factors affecting academic success in college. Fortunately, psychologists have identified several techniques that anyone can use to improve their mastery of new information. We discuss these techniques in the next section, “Psych for Your Life.”