2- Ethics in Research

PSY 101 Chapter 2 Activity: Ethics in Research

Name:

Step 1: Review the following information and linked articles:

• The American Psychological Association has a Code of Ethics, which applies to many areas of the practice of psychology. One of these areas is research. Your text discusses the ethical parameters and rules of psychological research in Chapter 2, section 2-5.

• Your course text also states “Researchers working in universities and other agencies receiving federal funding must receive the approval of institutional review boards (IRBs) for human participant research and institutional animal care and use committees (IACUCs) before conducting research.” (2016). The rules enforced by the IRBs and IACUCs are based on the APA Code of Ethics.

• In 2014 a collaborative study conducted by Facebook and Cornell University. conducted to investigate the potential emotional effects of reading the Facebook “News Feed” on 689,003 users, unbeknownst to them. This has become a very controversial study due to numerous criticisms that the researchers from Cornell did not follow the APA Code of Ethics research guidelines. (an FYI: Facebook is not governed by any of the APA or IRB rules because they are a private company.)

Links:

Cornell Ethics Board Did Not Preapprove Facebook Manipulation Study; The Washington Post

Everything We Wanted to Know about Facebook’s Secret Mood Manipulation Experiment; The Atlantic

APA Code of Ethics, Section 8

Step 2: In the space below cite both article references in APA format below, as you would on a reference page of a research paper. Hint: More article details can be found within the links. Worth 10 points.
*For formatting help use the following link to the Perdue writing website for APA style information.

Step 3:
• Provide a response to each of the following questions below. Be sure to tie in specific information you obtained from the text and/or the web resources, and apply it to your answer.
• College level grammar and correct spelling is required.
• Please note: DO NOT directly copy content from the book or resources. You must paraphrase or summarize in your own words.

1. After reading the articles and considering the rules of research in the APA Code of Ethics, provide support to the argument that Cornel University DID violate ethical requirements for research in at least 100 words. Worth 10 points.

2. Provide support for the argument that Cornell DID NOT violate ethical requirements for research in at least 100 words. Worth 10 points.

3. What is your opinion on whether or not Cornell violated the ethical rules? Provide your rationale and include details from the articles in at least 100 words. Worth 10 points.

4. In your opinion, could a study such as this one cause harm (even mild levels) to the participants? Why or why not? Please respond in at least 75 words. Worth 5 points.

5. Although not obligated to follow the same research rules as a university, do you feel Facebook’s actions were dishonest and/or violated any user’s rights? Why or why not? Respond in at least 75 words. Worth 5 points.