Deck 15: Ethical Issues in Behavioral Research

Question 1

Inferring a participant's identity from his or her pattern of responses is called

A)breach of confidentiality.
B)anti-anonymity.
C)deductive disclosure.
D)invasion of privacy.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of these groups directly oversees research involving human participants at most colleges and universities?

A)American Psychological Association
B)Committee on Scientific Responsibility
C)Institutional Review Board
D)Department of Education

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A researcher refuses to conduct research that involves deception because she believes that lying is wrong under all circumstances. This researcher is operating from a _______ ethical perspective.

A)utilitarian
B)skeptical
C)religious
D)deontological

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to the principle of informed consent, participants must be told

A)everything about the study.
B)about the hypotheses of the study, but not about the procedure.
C)everything about the purpose and procedure of the study, but not about the hypotheses.
D)about all aspects of the study that might influence their willingness to participate.

Question 5

Which of the following is not a case of scientific misconduct?

A)Fabricating data
B)Eliminating participants whose data are inconsistent with one's hypotheses
C)Claiming credit for another person's work
D)All of these are cases of scientific misconduct.

Question 6

Using a cost-benefit analysis to make ethical decisions about research reflects a(n)_________ perspective.

A)utilitarian
B)empirical
C)economic
D)deontological

Question 7

How do most participants react to the use of deception in behavioral research?

A)Most regard it as totally unacceptable.
B)Most become angry when they are deceived.
C)Most regard it as a necessary part of certain studies.
D)Most never know they were deceived.

Question 8

When are researchers permitted to delete certain participants' data?

A)Never
B)To increase the chances of finding support for the researcher's hypothesis
C)When doing so increases the validity of the analyses and results
D)When the participants themselves agree that their data may be deleted

Question 9

Informed consent may be waived

A)when the deception involved is minimal.
B)when the participant is an adult who is legally able to give his or her informed consent.
C)when no invasive physiological measures will be used.
D)under no circumstance.

Question 10

According to federal guidelines, which of the following is not a vulnerable participant population requiring special consideration?

A)Prisoners
B)Children
C)College students
D)Fetuses

Question 11

According to a cost-benefit analysis, a researcher may conduct a particular study if

A)the study has no potential costs.
B)it is approved by an institutional review board.
C)it has potential benefits for science or society.
D)the potential benefits of the study outweigh its potential costs.

Question 12

The purpose of a debriefing is to

A)clarify the nature of the study.
B)remove undesirable effects of participation.
C)obtain participants' reactions to the study.
D)obtain all of these.

Question 13

Most researchers believe invasion of privacy is not committed when

A)observations are videotaped rather than watched live.
B)people are observed in public places.
C)no embarrassing behavior is observed.
D)results are kept confidential.

Question 14

The ethical orientation of both the federal government and the American Psychological Association is essentially

A)utilitarian.
B)skeptical.
C)permissive.
D)legislative.

Question 15

Risk that is no greater than that ordinarily encountered in daily life is called _______ risk.

A)nominal
B)exempted
C)minimal
D)mundane

Question 16

When a person is not legally able to provide his or her informed consent to participate in a study,

A)the requirement for informed consent is waived.
B)consent is obtained from the participant's parent or legal guardian.
C)the researcher explains the study to the person verbally in the presence of a witness.
D)the person cannot participate in the study.

Question 17

A person who believes that universal and absolute ethical guidelines cannot be formulated is operating according to a(n)________ ethical perspective.

A)utilitarian
B)skeptical
C)agnostic
D)deontological

Question 18

According to APA guidelines, when may researchers expose animals to pain?

A)Never
B)When the potential significance of the study outweighs harm to the animals
C)Whenever the research question requires it
D)When it is approved by a veterinarian

Question 19

What ethical issue arises when people feel obligated to participate in a study because of how their physician, professor, employer, or therapist might react if they refuse?

A)Coercion
B)Deception
C)Skepticism
D)Harassment

Question 20

Which of the following ethical issues was not raised by Milgram's research on obedience?

A)Deception
B)Mental or physical discomfort
C)Invasion of privacy
D)Use of a confederate

Question 21

Why is p-hacking an ethical issue?

A)It increases the chances of getting results that are actually Type I errors.
B)It disadvantages researchers who don't have the facilities to p-hack.
C)It can compromise the confidentiality of the data.
D)It involves the fabrication of data.

Question 22

What are the five basic ethical issues that behavioral researchers must consider?

Question 23

Discuss ethical issues that arise when researchers report their findings to the scientific community.

Question 24

How can researchers ensure participants do not feel coerced into participating in their studies?

Question 25

Why is selective reporting unethical?

A)It gives credit to researchers who were not actually involved in running a study.
B)It causes the research literature to be biased.
C)It hides harm to participants from the IRB.
D)It fails to give other researchers enough information to replicate a study.

Question 26

Discuss two ways in which researchers can protect the confidentiality of participants' data.

Question 27

What are the goals of a debriefing?

Question 28

What is the purpose of the Institutional Review Board?

Question 29

What is scientific misconduct?

Question 30

Discuss ethical issues that arise when researchers analyze their data.

Question 31

Discuss the ethical issues involved in Milgram's classic study of obedience.

Question 32

Distinguish between skepticism, deontology, and utilitarianism as approaches to making ethical decisions.

Question 33

What are the basic guidelines for the care and use of animals in research?

Question 34

What elements must an informed consent form contain?

Question 35

How do researchers decide how much risk is permissible in their research?

Question 36

What are the arguments people often make, including public officials and university administrators, for suppressing scientific research? What are the arguments scientists often use against this suppression?