Question 1

The deliberate misleading of research participants is called __________ deception.

Accepted Answer

Active deception involves intentionally providing false information to participants or misleading them about some aspect of the research.

Question 2

Research participants in Dr. Lane's study are confident that she will maintain the confidentiality of their research disclosures. Which ethical principle is Dr. Lane upholding?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Lane is upholding the ethical principle of trust by ensuring participants that their personal information will be kept confidential.

Question 3

By signing an informed consent form, an individual has indicated that he or she is willing to __________ the research study.

Accepted Answer

By signing an informed consent form, the individual is indicating their willingness to participate in the research study.

Question 4

An informed consent form typically contains a description of all but one of the following:

Accepted Answer

An informed consent form typically contains a description of the nature of the study, any potential risk or inconvenience to the participant, and the procedure for ensuring the confidentiality of the data. However, the debriefing procedure is typically not included in the informed consent form but rather explained after the study is complete.

Question 5

Which of the following research practices is based on the ethical principle of respect for persons and their autonomy?

Accepted Answer

Informed consent involves respecting the autonomy of research participants by providing them with all relevant information about the study and allowing them to make an informed decision about whether or not to participate. This practice is based on the ethical principle of respect for persons.

Question 6

Institutional Review Boards are important for complying with which ethical principle?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Institutional Review Boards are important for complying...

Question 7

Examples of when an informed consent form may not be possible or necessary include all but which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Informed consent may not be necessary or possible in situations involving archival studies using public records (A), risk-free experiments where informed consent could be counterproductive (C), and the use of census data (D) because these scenarios typically do not involve direct interaction with participants or present minimal to no risk. However, studies involving young children (B) still require a form of informed consent, usually from a parent or guardian, as ethical standards mandate protection for vulnerable populations, including minors.

Question 8

Researchers generally submit their planned research proposals to __________ to evaluate the costs (or risks) as well as the benefits of the proposed study.

Accepted Answer

Institutional review boards (IRBs) are responsible for reviewing research proposals to ensure that they are ethically sound, comply with relevant regulations, and minimize risks to participants. IRBs assess the potential benefits of the proposed study as well as evaluate the potential risks and the costs associated with conducting the research. The other options listed (the departmental chair, colleague from another department, and institution's administration) may provide input or feedback, but it is typically the role of the IRB to evaluate research proposals.

Question 9

Nicole informs research participants that they had either performed well or performed poorly on a simple cognitive test regardless of the participants' actual performance on the test. Nicole is employing the use of __________ deception in her study.

Accepted Answer

Nicole is actively deceiving the research participants by giving them false information about their performance on the cognitive test.

Question 10

The use of a control group in a treatment effectiveness study can raise ethical concerns based on which principle?

Accepted Answer

The use of a control group can raise ethical concerns based on the principle of justice because it may be seen as unfair to withhold potentially beneficial treatment from individuals in the control group. This raises questions of fairness and equal access to treatment. However, it is important to note that the use of a control group is often necessary in order to obtain reliable and valid results in a treatment effectiveness study. Ethical considerations must be carefully weighed and balanced with scientific rigor in order to ensure that the study is conducted in a responsible and appropriate manner.

Question 11

One limitation to how institutional review boards evaluate research proposals is that they may focus mainly on the costs and benefits of __________ research while overlooking the costs of __________ research.

Accepted Answer

Institutional review boards may evaluate proposals based on the costs and benefits of conducting the research, but they may overlook the costs of not doing the research. This can lead to missed opportunities for important research that could have significant benefits for society. Therefore, choice B, which contrasts the costs of doing vs. not doing research, provides the best explanation for this limitation.

Question 12

While developing a research proposal, Dr. Smith is debating whether he is justified in deliberately misleading research participants as part of his empirical strategy. Dr. Smith is concerned with the __________ of his research approach.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Smith's concern about whether he is justified in deliberately misleading research participants speaks to the moral implications of his research approach. Validity refers to the extent to which a study accurately measures or examines what it claims to measure, adequacy refers to the sufficiency of the sample size and research design to answer the research question, and reliability refers to the consistency and precision of the study's results.

Question 13

The deliberate withholding of information to research participants is called __________ deception.

Accepted Answer

Passive deception refers to deliberately withholding information from research participants, without actively lying or manipulating information. This type of deception is usually done for ethical reasons, such as avoiding demand characteristics or protecting the confidentiality of the study.

Question 14

Sometimes informed consent of research participants is not necessary because it would be __________ for the researcher to obtain.

Accepted Answer

In certain situations, obtaining informed consent may be impossible. For example, if the research involves studying the behavior of individuals in a public space, it may not be feasible to obtain consent from each person observed. Additionally, if the research involves studying deceased individuals, obtaining consent is not possible. In these cases, researchers must still maintain ethical guidelines and ensure that their research does not harm participants.

Question 15

To help participants respond in a more open and honest manner to a survey, the researcher should describe the procedures he will use to ensure the __________ of the participants' responses.

Accepted Answer

Describing procedures for confidentiality will help to ensure participants that their responses will be kept private and secure, which can encourage them to be more honest and open in their answers. Reliability and validity are important considerations in survey research, but they do not directly address the issue of participant honesty. Utility refers to the usefulness of the survey results, which is important but not directly related to participant honesty.

Question 16

The desire to maximize the benefits of one's study is central to which ethical principle?

Accepted Answer

The ethical principle of beneficence emphasizes the importance of maximizing benefits to individuals and society while minimizing harms. This principle is central to the idea of conducting research that improves the lives of people or has a positive impact on society. Maximizing the benefits of one's study is important as it helps in contributing to the well-being and advancement of individuals and society. Trust, Nonmaleficence, and Justice are also important ethical principles, but they do not directly focus on maximizing the benefits of one's study.

Question 17

The ethical principle of justice involves

Accepted Answer

The ethical principle of justice involves issues of fair-mindedness, such as fairness, equity, and impartiality. It is concerned with ensuring that all individuals are treated equally and receive what they are due. It does not involve the use of deception, invasions of privacy, or violations of confidentiality.

Question 18

Milgram's experiments are considered controversial because of his use of

Accepted Answer

Milgram's experiments involved deception as participants were not fully informed about the true nature of the study, specifically the fact that the "learner" was a confederate and no actual shocks were being delivered. This raises ethical concerns about informed consent and the potential harm to participants.

Question 19

A researcher knowingly and willingly falsifies his data in order to improve the likelihood that his study will be published in a professional journal. Which ethical principle does this violate?

Accepted Answer

Falsifying data is a breach of fidelity and scientific integrity, which is a fundamental ethical principle in research. This principle requires researchers to be honest, accurate, and truthful in their research. Falsifying data undermines the scientific integrity of the study and harms the credibility of the research community.

Question 20

According to the principle of respect for persons and their autonomy, all individuals have the right to __________ a research study.

Accepted Answer

The principle of respect for persons and their autonomy means that individuals have the right to make their own decisions about whether or not to participate in a research study. It is important to obtain informed consent from participants and respect their right to withdraw from the study at any time. Therefore, choice A is the best option.

Quiz 3: Ethical Considerations and Guidelines