IRB Annotated References for Class Discussion
Allen, G, & Baker, J. (2001). Ethical and Social Issues in the Use of Human Subjects for Research. In, G. Allen & J. Baker (Ed.), Biology: Scientific process and social issues (pp. 159-162).. Bethesda, MD: Fitzgerald Science Press, Inc.
Chapter 5 of Biology: Scientific process and social issues deals with the interaction of science and society. More specifically, there is a section on ethical issues pertaining to the use of human participants that recounts the Tuskegee Study where African-American participants were denied treatment. This section provides historical framework for issues of participant protection in research studies and for the social responsibility of researchers. The end of the chapter presents critical thinking questions and suggestions for further reading.
Brody, J.L. (1997). Participants’ understanding of the process of psychological research: Informed consent. Ethics and Behavior, 7, 285-298.
This article explains some of the difficulties involved with conveying to participants their informed consent. It explains participants’ tendencies to complete an experiment they have begun, regardless of what they were told when they gave consent. Most importantly, it reveals that most participants do not understand that consent is a decision process for them to make.
Caplan, A. (1995). The Ethics of Experimentation. In A. Caplan (Ed.), Moral matters: Ethical issues in medicine and the life sciences (pp. 169-190). New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Chapter 9 of Moral Matters, titled ‘The Ethics of Experimentation,’ provides a collection of eleven short essays that present arguments and opinions about various ethical issues pertaining to experimentation on human participants. Topics range from the implications of male-only experiment populations to the safeguards necessary in testing experimental drugs.
Kimmel, A. (1998). In defense of deception. American Psychologist, 53, 803-805.
This brief editorial is a reply to Ortmann & Hertwig (1997) (see below), in defense of the use of deception in psychological experiments. Kimmel argues that the use of deception has actually decreased in recent history and that some experiments simply are not realistic without the use of deception.
Lawson, E. (2001). Informational and relational meanings of deception: Implications for deception methods in research. Ethics and Behavior, 11, 115-130.
This article presents a distinction between information and relational views of deception, in that from an informational point of view withholding information qualifies as deception, whereas from a relation point of view deception necessitates a denial of the right to the truth. The author also discusses the implications for researchers who use deceptions in their experiments if reviewers take either the information or relational point of view.
Ortmann, A. & Hertwig, R. (1997). Is deception acceptable? American Psychologist, 52, 746-747.
This brief editorial addresses the rising use of deception in current research experiment despite the American Psychological Associations ethical standards regarding the use of deception that state it should only be used where there are no alternative methods.