Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences 4th Edition by Charles Stangor – Test Bank

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CHAPTER 3

Ethics in Research

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Understand the concerns of ethical research.

2. Understand the potential psychological threats to participants in behavioral research projects.

3. Understand what facets may interfere with participants’ freedom to choose whether or not to participate in

research.

4. Understand the function of informed consent.

5. Be aware of the potential for power abuse by the researcher in the research relationship.

6. Determine when and why deception is used in research designs.

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Describe the purpose of the post-experimental interview. When is it used and why does it serve as such an

important tool in behavioral research?

2. Describe the four principles of ethical research with human participants as outlined in Chapter 3. Indicate

the procedures used by behavioral scientists to help ensure that their research maintains these principles.

3. Why is deception used in research, and in what cases is it justified?

4. Outline the guidelines that an experimenter must take into consideration as he or she designs a research

project, and indicate ethical goals the researcher will attempt to uphold throughout the administration of the

actual experiment.

5. Explain the purpose and composition of the Institutional Review Board.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

Ans: a

1. One of the major difficulties involved in studying human beings is that

Page: 42

a. they often behave differently when they are being studied than they

Type: F

would otherwise.

LO: 2

b. c. d. suspicion checks reveal that measures of deception rarely work.

participants will rarely give their informed consent to participate.

the IRB only permits about 5 percent of all proposed studies to be

carried out.

Why are ethics a concern in behavioral research?

Because the participants are human and researchers are obligated to

protect them from harm.

Because researchers can be fined by the American Psychological

Association if they do not follow ethical guidelines.

Because animals are not given equal rights during an experiment.

Behavioral scientists do not normally need to consider ethical issues

when conducting research.

Ans: a

Page: 43-44

Type: F

LO: 1

2. a. b. c. d. 20 Chapter 3: Ethics in Research

Ans: d

Page: 42

Type: F

LO: 1

3. Ans: d

Page: 43

Type: F

LO: 1

4. Ans: d

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Type: F

LO: 1

5. Ans: d

Page: 44

Type: F

LO: 1

6. Ans: c

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Type: F

LO: 1

7. Ans: d

Page: 44

Type: C

LO: 2

8. Ans: a

Page: 47

Type: F

LO: 2

9. Which of the following are potential benefits of scientific research?

a. b. Knowledge gained for the society at large

Knowledge gained by the participant about how scientific research is

conducted

c. d. Knowledge gained for the scientist concerning the area being studied

All of the above are potential benefits.

Which scientific fields face ethical dilemmas?

a. Only behavioral science

b. Medical science and behavioral science

c. Physical science and medical science

d. All fields of science

It is not appropriate to argue that research should not be conducted because

a. research is conducted.

b. c. d. a large range of scientific fields use research.

the accomplishments of famous scientists are well known.

there are potential benefits of conducting research.

Which is NOT one of the four basic goals of ethical research?

a. Providing freedom of choice

b. c. d. Keeping the participant free of physical or mental harm

Honestly describing the research being performed

Using deception to make sure results will not be hindered

Characteristics of an ethical research project include which of the

following?

a. The rights of the participants are considered before the rights of the

experimenter, but the relationship between them should be more

beneficial to the researcher.

b. The experimenter fully explains to the participants every detail of the

research, and the exact outcomes intended before starting.

c. After the experiment is over, any deception that has been used is

made public, and the necessity for it is explained.

d. The experimenter explains the underlying research hypothesis and

purpose of the experimental procedure before the research begins.

Which of the following best describes the danger of psychological harm to

the participant in behavioral research?

a. b. c. d. Psychological harm occurs on a regular basis.

Psychological harm never occurs to participants.

Psychological harm is not part of the ethical concerns of scientists.

Psychological harm is not likely, but scientists must always watch out

for the possibility that it might occur.

Research that is conducted outside of the laboratory

a. may have more ethical concerns because the participants may not

know they are being studied.

b. has fewer ethical concerns because the experimental procedures are

less extreme.

c. cannot be ethically conducted.

d. is subject to different ethical principles than laboratory experiments.Chapter 3: Ethics in Research 21

Ans: c

Page: 48

Type: F

LO: 4

Ans: c

Page: 48

Type: F

LO: 4

Ans: c

Page: 48-49

Type: F

LO: 4

Ans: a

Page: 48-49

Type: F

LO: 3

Ans: d

Page: 48-49

Type: F

LO: 4

Ans: a

Page: 57-58

Type: F

LO: 1

Ans: b

Page: 51

LO: 3

F

10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. The purpose of informed consent is to

a. b. assess the participant’s reactions to the experiment.

explain the hypothesis of the experiment, and what exactly is being

studied in the experiment.

c. provide participants with information about the experiment so that

they can make a free choice of whether they want to participate.

d. create awareness of the power differential.

Which one of the following is NOT part of informed consent?

a. A statement that participation is voluntary

b. A description of risks

c. Making sure that there will be no long-term effects for the participant

d. A description of the procedures

Which of the following is part of informed consent?

a. b. c. d. Information about the research hypothesis

A statement of the findings of the research

Information about how the collected data will be kept confidential

A statement requiring the participant to finish the experiment

A participant who chooses not to complete an experiment after it has begun

a. b. c. must not incur any loss of benefits.

must be asked to return to the experiment at a later date.

must be told that his or her decision could affect the validity of the

research.

d. must participate in another experiment instead.

Which of the following is a right of the experimental participant?

a. b. c. d. The right to be informed of all outcomes of the research

The right to sue the university if he or she is injured

The right to fully understand the research hypothesis

The right to withdraw from participation without any penalty at any

time

Which of the following organizations provides ethical guidelines for

research?

a. American Psychological Association

b. U.S. Department of Research

c. United Legion of Ethics

d. American Ethical Association

Which of the following best describes the likely behavior of a research

participant?

a. The participant will normally be willing to leave the experiment if he

or she experiences discomfort.

b. It may be difficult for the participant to express a desire to leave the

experiment.

c. The experiment will cause psychological discomfort to many

individuals.

d. The participant will usually be aware of the research hypothesis.22 Chapter 3: Ethics in Research

Ans: c

Page: 52

Type: F

LO: 3

17. Ans: b

Page: 53

Type: C

LO: 1

18. Ans: b

Page: 53

Type: C

LO: 1

19. Ans: b

Page: 53

Type: F

LO: 6

20. Ans: c

Page: 53

Type: F

LO: 6

21. Ans: c

Page: 53

Type: F

LO: 6

22. Ans: b

Page: 55

Type: F

LO: 3

23. When no information identifying the participant is taken by the researcher,

the collected data are said to be

a. confidential.

b. unmarked.

c. anonymous.

d. wasted.

The Stanford prison experiment, in which college students were recruited to

play the roles of guards and prisoners in a prison, is an example of a

a. deception study.

b. simulation study.

c. correlational study.

d. mutual disclosure study.

A study in which participants are fully informed about the nature of the

research and asked to behave “as if” they were in a social setting of interest

is known as a(n)

a. acting experiment.

b. simulation study.

c. simulated realism experiment.

d. deceptive study.

According to the guidelines of the American Psychological Association,

deception can be used

a. b. whenever the experimenter needs to study natural behavior.

only if the experiment could not be conducted without using

deception.

c. never—deception is always unethical.

d. anytime when necessary as long as the participant is debriefed.

Why is deception usually used in research?

a. b. c. d. Because the scientific method requires it

Because the experimental method requires it

Because some research topics could not be studied without it

So that the participants cannot tell others about the research

hypothesis

Which of the following is a potential negative consequence of the use of

deception in behavioral research?

a. b. The participants may believe the deception.

The deception may cause the participants to guess what is being

studied.

c. Participants may learn to expect to be deceived in future experiments,

making those experiments harder to conduct.

d. The deception may undermine the ability of the researcher to fully

understand the collected data.

The process of asking the participants questions to help determine how they

interpreted and reacted to the experimental procedure is known as the

a. informed consent.

b. post-experimental interview.

c. simulation debriefing.

d. hypothesis check.Chapter 3: Ethics in Research 23

Ans: a

Page: 54-55

Type: F

LO: 3

Ans: a

Page: 55

Type: F

LO: 3

Ans: c

Page: 55

Type: F

LO: 3

Ans: c

Page: 55-56

Type: F

LO: 3

Ans: d

Page: 55-56

Type: A

LO: 3

Ans: b

Page: 55

Type: F

LO: 5

Ans: c

Page: 58

Type: F

LO: 1

24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. The debriefing is frequently combined with which of the following?

a. The post-experimental interview

b. Informed consent

c. The data collection

d. The deception

When is a suspicion check used?

a. During the post-experimental interview

b. Only in studies that do not use deception

c. During the experimental procedures

d. Only in simulation studies

Which of the following is NOT a goal of the post-experimental interview?

a. To see if the participant had suspicions about the nature of the

experiment

b. c. To educate the participants about behavioral research

To get the participant interested in participating in follow-up

experiments

d. To eliminate any long-term consequences of having participated in

the experiment

The difference between debriefing and process debriefing is that process

debriefing involves

a. b. c. d. passively undoing any potentially harmful effects.

showing the participants’ data to them.

actively undoing any potentially harmful effects.

guaranteeing that participants are returned to their original state.

After an experiment in which participants have been put in a negative mood

is over, the participants complete a questionnaire in which they list all of the

positive things about themselves that they can think of. This technique is

probably part of which of the following?

a. A simulation study

b. Informed consent

c. An unethical study

d. A process debriefing

Researchers use many procedures to help prevent long-lasting negative

consequences for research participants. These normally include all except

which of the following?

a. A thorough debriefing

b. Providing an opportunity for participants to leave the experiment at

any time

c. Providing participants with a phone number of whom to call with

further concerns

d. Providing the participants with a list of research papers concerning

the topic of study

Which of the following is part of the ethics of animal research?

a. b. The animals are allowed to move freely about the laboratory.

If necessary, the animals are killed slowly to minimize the amount of

pain.

c. d. The researchers who use animals are trained to care for them.

The animals are kept confined to cages.24 Chapter 3: Ethics in Research

Ans: d

Page: 58

Type: F

LO: 1

31. Ans: d

Page: 59

Type: F

LO: 1

32. Ans: a

Page: 59

Type: F

LO: 1

33. Ans: c

Page: 42-43

Type: C

LO: 1

34. Ans: d

Page: 48-49

Type: F

LO: 1

35. Ans: b

Page: 48

Type: F

LO: 4

36. Which of the following is true regarding the use of animals in behavioral

research?

a. Researchers do not use animals in research.

b. Animals are never harmed in any way.

c. Animals are not subjected to any stress.

d. Animals may sometimes be harmed during the research, but in

general they are treated as humanely as possible.

There must be at least

__________ individuals on the panel of the IRB,

including at least one individual whose primary interest is in a nonscientific

domain.

a. four

b. seven

c. six

d. five

The major goal of the Institutional Review Board is to

a. b. c. d. determine the cost-benefit ratio of proposed research.

make sure animals are treated humanely.

answer questions on informed consent and debriefing.

advise researchers about proper lab procedures.

Which of the following best represents the goals of ethical research?

a. b. c. Making sure participants do not know the experimental manipulation

Giving participants a chance to guess what the research is about.

The welfare of research participants is taken into consideration and

the research is reported honestly and fairly.

d. Allowing participants to discuss the study with the researcher when it

is finished

Which of the following is an important APA guideline that must be

followed when conducting research with human participants?

a. Having one or more control groups

b. Providing adequate significance testing

c. Using either random sampling or random assignment

d. Providing informed consent

Which of the following is an important aspect of informed consent?

a. b. c. d. Informing the participant about the results of the study.

Informing the participant about any potential discomfort and risk

Keeping the names of the experimenters confidential

Informing the participant whether he or she is in the experimental or

the control conditionAns: a

Page: 51

Type: C

LO: 5

Ans: c

Page: 56

Type: F

LO: 6

Ans: c

Page: 55-56

Type: F

LO: 3

Ans: d

Page: 58

Type: F

LO: 1

Ans: c

Page: 48-49

Type: C

LO: 1

Ans: a

Page: 54-55

Type: F

LO: 1

37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. Chapter 3: Ethics in Research 25

Which of the following best describes why the power and status differential

between the experimenter and the participant must always be taken into

consideration?

a. The researcher has a great deal of power over the behavior of the

participants while they are in the experimental session.

b. Unless the researcher uses his or her power, the participant may not

pay attention to the experimental script.

c. Experimental demand may be created if the participant feels more

powerful than the researcher.

d. It is important that all participants feel a similar degree of

powerlessness within an experiment

Deception within an experiment can become unethical when

a. the participant acts more like how he or she would act in a natural

setting.

b. the participant is debriefed on why they were deceived after the

experiment is over.

c. a participant feels frustrated during the study and continues to feel

that way for several days.

d. despite being suspicious about the study, the participant trusts the

aims of the researcher.

In an experiment in which participants have been asked to think about their

failures, the experimenter asks them to think about their successes before

they leave. This is an example of which of the following?

a. Suspicion check

b. Post-experimental interview

c. Process debriefing

d. Significance test

Which of the following is important when using animals as research

participants?

a. b. c. d. Pain or stress should be inflicted only at the end of the study.

Animals should never be administered drugs.

Informed consent must always be used.

All psychologists using animals must have proper training in the care,

maintenance, and handling of the animal species.

A researcher would be engaging in unethical behavior if he or she

a. conducted an experiment using deception that was approved by the

Institutional Review Board.

b. c. only reported the findings that rejected the null hypothesis.

required the participant to continue the experimental session even if

they expressed a desire to leave.

d. shared his or her ideas with fellow faculty members before their

submission to a journal.

Correctly identify the following processes in the order in which a

participant might experience them in a research study

a. b. c. d. Informed consent, suspicion check, debriefing

Informed consent, debriefing, suspicion check

Suspicion check, informed consent, debriefing

Suspicion check, debriefing, informed consent26 Chapter 3: Ethics in Research

Ans: a

Page: 52

Type: F

LO: 2

43. When information identifying the participant is collected by the researcher,

but it is not shared with anyone else, the collected data are said to be

a. confidential.

b. unmarked.

c. anonymous.

d. wasted.