Ethics

=Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct= toc **As you read the standards and guidelines from the APA for 1) research with humans, and 2) the care and use of animals in research, you should learn 2 - 3 specific standards/guidelines for EACH category:**
 * **human animals**
 * **non human animals**

**You could memorize specific clauses if you like but it is not necessary as long as you can paraphrase**

**For each of the perspectives, you need to choose at least __one__ study on human participants and __one__ on non-human participants that you can discuss in detail in terms of ethical considerations**

**This means you need to ensure that you have enough material to discuss, if the focus is narrowed in that fashion.**
 * You may be asked in an essay or an SAQ to focus just on human animals or non human animals. **

[|A great overview of ethical considerations]

=Human animals (People)= Class text Law et al. P. 6 - 7 [|Summary] of guidelines from the British Psychological Association
 * READ**

[|Try this quick quiz on ethics] - what do you know?

[|Standard 4: Privacy and Confidentiality]
 * American Psychological Association (APA)**

[|Standard 8: Research and publication] (Informed consent)

Reviewing confidentiality
Each of the following clauses could be discussed in a paragraph on their own (as a key point). You **could** write the paragraph on '//confidentiality//' itself, and discuss the significance of confidentiality as an ethical consideration Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you use the following sequence:
 * Identify the point/clause (//this is the definition that you memorise//)
 * Explain its significance (//this is where you explain WHY this consideration is important//)
 * Use the context of 1 or 2 studies to illustrate your point (//this could be an example of a violation of ethics, OR, how researchers have met ethical standards - or both//)

Source: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/bioethics/guidelines/ethical4.html
 * Harvard School of Public Health**
 * (vi) //Privacy, anonymity and confidentiality//:** Information on the extent of privacy, anonymity and confidentiality that will be provided to participant(s). This must include, at least, the firm commitment that privacy, anonymity and confidentiality of data identifying participants will be strictly maintained. In case the data identifying participants is to be shared with or made available to **individuals/organisations** not in the research team, information about **them** (their names, addresses etc.) should be provided.


 * (vii) //Future use of information//:** The future possible use of the information and data obtained, including use as a database, archival research or recordings for educational purposes, as well as possible use in unanticipated circumstances, like its use as secondary data should be made known to participants. Such use should be only of anonymous or abstracted information and data, and should in no way conflict with or violate the maintenance of privacy, anonymity and confidentiality of information identifying participants.


 * (viii) //Right not to participate and withdraw//:** Participants should also be informed about their right to decline participation outright, or to withdraw consent given at any stage of the research, without undesirable consequences, penalty and so on. The participants should be informed that they are free to object to and refuse to allow the use of data gathering devices, such as camera, tape recorder, etc.


 * IV.2.5.** In some cases, **revealing the identity of the group of participants, groups, village(s), neighbourhood(s), etc, in the report could have an adverse effect on members/residents there.** Sometimes the researchers are not able to anticipate the possibility of adverse effect at the time of conducting research and publishing reports. Researchers should take care that the study communities and/or localities are not identified or made identifiable in the report unless there are strong reasons for doing so. If the researcher(s) and institution intend to identify them in the report, participants' informed consent allowing such disclosure should be obtained.

=(Non human) animals= Class text Law et al. P. 7
 * READ**

General background
[|Animals in research]


 * Is it morally wrong to cause animals to suffer? **
 * Read an [|overview] before you examine the following sources **

Research on animals - the testing viewpoint
 * Source 1: American Psychological Association (APA)**

[|The view of the American Anti-Vivisection society]
 * Source 2**

[|Guidelines for ethical conduct in the care and use of animals]
 * Source 3**

Select at least 3 of the APA guidelines from the list in the above source
 * be able to quote/paraphrase the guideline
 * know why you want this specific guideline - what point do you want to make about a specific ethical consideration raised by a specific study

=**Studies relevant to specific levels of analysis**=

Biological

 * Ethical considerations in behavioral genetics - use the studies from that LO

Cognitive
See the page on the ethical considerations in the cognitive LOA Case study illustrations
 * Clive Wearing
 * HM

Sociocultural

 * Zimbardo study**
 * Stanford prison experiment


 * Milgram study**
 * Electric shock and compliance

(connected to investigations of attachment theory)
 * Study: Harlow's investigation of attachment **
 * Ethical considerations raised :**
 * ** deprivation procedures created severe trauma for subjects (provide evidence) **
 * ** subjects unable to assimilate into 'normal' monkey groups **** (provide evidence) **
 * ** subjects unable to engage 'normally' with subsequent offspring **** (provide evidence) **


 * Relevant section from APA guidelines: **
 * ** //The scientific purpose of the research should be of sufficient potential significance to justify the use of animals. Psychologists should act on the assumption that procedures that would produce pain in humans will also do so in other animals. (Section I, guideline B)// **
 * ** //Experimental procedures that require prolonged aversive conditions or produce tissue damage or metabolic disturbances require greater justification and surveillance. These include prolonged exposure to extreme environmental conditions, experimentally induced prey killing, or infliction of physical trauma or tissue damage. An animal observed to be in a state of severe distress or chronic pain that cannot be alleviated and is not essential to the purposes of the research should be euthanized immediately. (////Section V, guideline E)// **

Consider:
 * What is the connection between what the guidelines say, and Harlow's experiment on the rhesus monkeys?
 * Did Harlow's aim justify the treatment the animals were subjected to?
 * Is isolation an extreme environmental condition? Were the monkeys in a state of severe distress?

Experiments such as Harlow's added fuel to the debate over the necessity of animal research. The majority of animal experiments today are on rodents and birds.