Ethics and evaluating evidence

Good research protects participants and makes its reasoning inspectable. One dramatic result needs scrutiny, replication, and attention to its limits.

Lesson 3 of 33 parts Practice Flashcards

1/3

Informed consent and Right to withdraw

Objective: Explain informed consent and right to withdraw, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Informed consent: Consent requires relevant information and voluntary agreement under appropriate research procedures. Right to withdraw: Participants can stop participation under the study's ethical protections. Psychological research distinguishes a construct from the procedure used to measure it. Random sampling and random assignment serve different purposes. Experiments can support causal inference when design and execution address competing explanations; observational associations require more caution. Ethical protection, replication, and transparent reporting are part of scientific quality. One result is evidence to evaluate rather than automatic proof of a universal rule. Application: Participants learn the study's requirements before agreeing. This most directly illustrates informed consent. A participant leaves without an improper penalty. This most directly illustrates right to withdraw.

Worked examples

Try itOriginal teaching scenario: Participants learn the study's requirements before agreeing. Which idea from this section does it most directly illustrate?Show answer

Step 1 — Read the observation: Participants learn the study's requirements before agreeing. Step 2 — Recall the relevant idea: Consent requires relevant information and voluntary agreement under appropriate research procedures. Step 3 — Connect the observation to the idea: The scenario is an illustration of informed consent. Step 4 — Check the limit: This short scenario illustrates the concept; it does not establish every detail or exclude every other influence in a real situation.

Try itOriginal teaching scenario: A participant leaves without an improper penalty. Which idea from this section does it most directly illustrate?Show answer

Step 1 — Read the observation: A participant leaves without an improper penalty. Step 2 — Recall the relevant idea: Participants can stop participation under the study's ethical protections. Step 3 — Connect the observation to the idea: The scenario is an illustration of right to withdraw. Step 4 — Check the limit: This short scenario illustrates the concept; it does not establish every detail or exclude every other influence in a real situation.

Swipe sideways to move between sections

Informed consent and Right to withdraw

Objective: Explain informed consent and right to withdraw, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Worked examples

Try itOriginal teaching scenario: Participants learn the study's requirements before agreeing. Which idea from this section does it most directly illustrate?Show answer

Try itOriginal teaching scenario: A participant leaves without an improper penalty. Which idea from this section does it most directly illustrate?Show answer

Confidentiality and Debriefing

Objective: Explain confidentiality and debriefing, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Confidentiality: Confidentiality protects identifiable participant information under stated procedures. Debriefing: Debriefing explains relevant study purposes and procedures afterward, especially when authorized deception occurred. Psychological research distinguishes a construct from the procedure used to measure it. Random sampling and random assignment serve different purposes. Experiments can support causal inference when design and execution address competing explanations; observational associations require more caution. Ethical protection, replication, and transparent reporting are part of scientific quality. One result is evidence to evaluate rather than automatic proof of a universal rule. Application: A report avoids disclosing participants' identities. This most directly illustrates confidentiality. Researchers clarify an approved concealed purpose after participation. This most directly illustrates debriefing.

Worked examples

Try itOriginal teaching scenario: A report avoids disclosing participants' identities. Which idea from this section does it most directly illustrate?Show answer

Step 1 — Read the observation: A report avoids disclosing participants' identities. Step 2 — Recall the relevant idea: Confidentiality protects identifiable participant information under stated procedures. Step 3 — Connect the observation to the idea: The scenario is an illustration of confidentiality. Step 4 — Check the limit: This short scenario illustrates the concept; it does not establish every detail or exclude every other influence in a real situation.

Try itOriginal teaching scenario: Researchers clarify an approved concealed purpose after participation. Which idea from this section does it most directly illustrate?Show answer

Step 1 — Read the observation: Researchers clarify an approved concealed purpose after participation. Step 2 — Recall the relevant idea: Debriefing explains relevant study purposes and procedures afterward, especially when authorized deception occurred. Step 3 — Connect the observation to the idea: The scenario is an illustration of debriefing. Step 4 — Check the limit: This short scenario illustrates the concept; it does not establish every detail or exclude every other influence in a real situation.

Replication and Publication bias

Objective: Explain replication and publication bias, distinguish their meanings, and apply them to a described case.

Replication: Replication tests whether findings recur under appropriately described methods. Publication bias: Publication bias favors reporting some results over others, distorting the visible evidence. Psychological research distinguishes a construct from the procedure used to measure it. Random sampling and random assignment serve different purposes. Experiments can support causal inference when design and execution address competing explanations; observational associations require more caution. Ethical protection, replication, and transparent reporting are part of scientific quality. One result is evidence to evaluate rather than automatic proof of a universal rule. Application: Another team repeats a study with a new sample. This most directly illustrates replication. Null results are less visible than striking positive findings. This most directly illustrates publication bias.

Worked examples

Try itOriginal teaching scenario: Another team repeats a study with a new sample. Which idea from this section does it most directly illustrate?Show answer

Step 1 — Read the observation: Another team repeats a study with a new sample. Step 2 — Recall the relevant idea: Replication tests whether findings recur under appropriately described methods. Step 3 — Connect the observation to the idea: The scenario is an illustration of replication. Step 4 — Check the limit: This short scenario illustrates the concept; it does not establish every detail or exclude every other influence in a real situation.

Try itOriginal teaching scenario: Null results are less visible than striking positive findings. Which idea from this section does it most directly illustrate?Show answer

Step 1 — Read the observation: Null results are less visible than striking positive findings. Step 2 — Recall the relevant idea: Publication bias favors reporting some results over others, distorting the visible evidence. Step 3 — Connect the observation to the idea: The scenario is an illustration of publication bias. Step 4 — Check the limit: This short scenario illustrates the concept; it does not establish every detail or exclude every other influence in a real situation.

You finished the reading!

Lock it in with a few practice questions. This is the last lesson in the chapter.

Practice

Previous lessonExperiments and observation

Last lesson