issues in social psychological research

Front

1. Why do psychologists need research ethics?

Back

some experiments have the potential to cause psychological or physical harm to participants

Front

1. What are the major ethical concerns in research? Informed consent; freedom from coercion; protection; privacy; risk-benefit rule; debriefing.

Back

informed consent: participants must be told what will happen in a study

freedom from coercion: participants can't be forced to participate

protection: there's a low risk from physical and psychological harm

privacy: participant confidentiality or anonymity is assured

risk-benefit rule: the benefits of the study should exceed any risks

debriefing: after the study, participants can ask questions, and their well-being is checked. if there's a problem, help is provided

Front

1. Why are social psychologists OK with using deception and causing participants distress?

Back

• deception:

• -can create very powerful situations

-knowing the true purpose can bias how participants respond

distress:

-the benefits associated with the study outweigh the risks

-there's a plan to assist a person who is distressed by the study

Front

1. What is psychological realism?

Back

what matters is creating a genuine psychological response that feels real