Contents

CHAPTER 3: Ethical Issues in the Conduct of Psychological Research 59and findings with one another via the Internet. Vast quantities of archival informationare accessible through government-sponsored Internet sites (e.g., U.S.Census Bureau). Because researchers can collect data from human participantsvia the World Wide Web, there is the potential to include millions of people inone study! Types of psychological research on the Internet include simple observation(e.g., recording “behavior” in chat rooms), surveys (questionnaires,including personality tests), and experiments involving manipulated variables.Although the Internet offers many opportunities for the behavioral scientist,it also raises many ethical concerns. Major issues arise due to the absence of theresearcher in an online research setting, the difficulty of obtaining adequateinformed consent and providing debriefing, and concerns about protecting participantconfidentiality (see especially Kraut et al., 2004, and Nosek, Banaji, &Greenwald, 2002, for reviews of these problems and some suggested solutions).We discuss some of these ethical issues in the present chapter and also continuethis discussion in later chapters when we describe specific studies using theInternet.Ethical decisions are best made after consultation with others, including one’speers but especially those who are more experienced or knowledgeable in aparticular area. In fact, review of a research plan by people not involved in theresearch is legally required in most situations. In the remaining sections of thischapter, we comment on those standards from the Ethics Code that deal specificallywith psychological research. We also present several hypothetical researchscenarios that raise ethical questions. By putting yourself in the position of havingto make judgments about the ethical issues raised in these research proposals,you will begin to learn to grapple with the challenges that arise in applyingparticular ethical standards and with the difficulties of ethical decision making ingeneral (see Figure 3.1). We urge you to discuss these proposals with peers, professors,and others who have had prior experience doing psychological research.ETHICAL ISSUES TO CONSIDER BEFORE BEGINNING RESEARCH• Prior to conducting any study, the proposed research must be reviewed todetermine if it meets ethical standards.• Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) review psychological research to protectthe rights and welfare of human participants.• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) review researchconducted with animals to ensure that animals are treated humanely.Researchers must consider ethical issues before they begin a research project.Ethical problems can be avoided only by planning carefully and consultingwith appropriate individuals and groups prior to doing the research. The failureto conduct research in an ethical manner undermines the entire scientific process,impedes the advancement of knowledge, and erodes the public’s respectfor scientific and academic communities (see Figure 3.2). It can also lead to significantlegal and financial penalties for individuals and institutions. An importantstep that researchers must take as they begin to do psychological researchis to gain institutional approval.