The Science of Psychology 35Ethics of Psychological Research
The study that Dr. Watson did with “Little Albert” and the white
rat seems pretty cruel when you think about it. Do researchers today
do that kind of study?Actually, as the field and scope of psychology began to grow and more research with
people and animals was being done, psychologists began to realize that some protections
had to be put in place. No one wanted to be thought of as a “mad scientist,” and if stud-
ies were permitted that could actually harm people or animals, the field of psychology
might die out pretty quickly. to Learning Objectives 5.3 and 12.3.
The Guidelines for Doing Research with People
1.10 Identify some of the common ethical guidelines for doing research with
people.
Scientists in other areas of research were also realizing that ethical treatment of the par-
ticipants in studies had to be ensured in some way. Ethical treatment, of course, means
that people who volunteer for a study will be able to expect that no physical or psy-
chological harm should come to them. The video The Ethics of Psychological Research with
People explains how researchers in the field of psychology draw the line between what is
ethical and what is not and explains some of the safeguards in place today.
CCWatch the Video The Ethics of Psychological Research with PeopleUniversities and colleges (where most psychological research is carried out) usu-
ally have institutional review boards, groups of psychologists or other professionals who
look over each proposed study and judge it according to its safety and consideration for
the research participants. These review boards look at all aspects of the projected study,
from the written materials that explain the research to the potential subjects to the equip-
ment that may be used in the study itself.
There are quite a few ethical concerns when dealing with human subjects in an exper-
iment or other type of study. Here is a list of some of the most common ethical guidelines:
- Rights and well-being of participants must be weighed against the study’s value
to science. In other words, people come first, research second.