Ethical research - Assignment Example

Ethical Research QUESTION The various major ethical issues in behavioral research generally include risks, benefits, deception, debriefing, informed consent and justice. In this regard, behavioral risks encompass various factors i.e. physical harm or psychological risks and even loss of confidentiality. These risks usually deliver potential threats to the behavioral pattern of an individual. Behavioral research not only possesses risks but also certain benefits as well. Benefits that can be derived from behavioral research are direct benefits pertaining to acquiring knowledge, new skills, educational benefits, treatment related to medical purposes and psychological problems. There are also other aspects of benefits that are associated with material benefits such as gifts, monetary payments, prizes and awards. These benefits are often considered to be highly tangible. However, behavioral research also comprise less tangible benefits like analyzing proper research findings, psychotherapy, improvements in the future processes of education and social policy. These benefits are often considered to be highly beneficial as it improves the behavior of a person by a certain extent. Deception is an act which is associated with cheating and deceiving a person. It basically occurs when information is misinterpreted. In behavioral research, deception is mainly considered to be a psychological problem which occurs in almost all major researches such as college research studies, laboratory research and social psychology research among others. Debriefing is a behavioral aspect which primarily involves deception, withholding of information and misinterpretation of information. On the other hand, informed consent is a procedure of acquiring permission for participating in a particular research. A research involves certain fundamental functions wherein active participation is required for assessing and evaluating the data that is collected through a research process. If the informed consent is genuine, then it can yield better results. Justice is regarded as one of the decisive ethical principles as it is associated with fairness and equality. This aspect has primary importance in research, as it helps in delivering a fruitful research and is considered to be an imperative aspect in a behavioral research procedure (Cozby 1-10). Researchers can weigh the need to conduct against the need for ethical procedures by taking into concern the basic rules of conducting a proper research. Moreover, researchers also require considering conducting a research in a realistic form and avoid all kinds of discrepancies as well as misinterpretation of facts along with figures (Cozby 1-10). QUESTION 2 Informed consent is duly considered to be an ethical principle as this aspect provides a researcher with the right to conduct a proper research with proper mutual consent from the entire research team (Cozby 1-10). However, there might lay certain potential problems pertaining to receive fully informed consent. Problems pertaining to the activities that may be time consuming might provide hindrance to the research process. In order to obtain informed consent, rigorous research process is needed to be followed that may include explanation time, demographic analysis and problems pertaining to language barriers among others (Cozby 1-10). QUESTION 3 Institutional Review Board (IRB) is basically regarded as an institution which is performed to review the overall research process. All the activities that are undertaken in a research would be analyzed and evaluated by this particular board. IRB is also considered to be a local agency which usually comprises at least five members (Cozby 1-10). QUESTION 4 (A) Considering the given experiment relating to the death of an individual, it can be affirmed that death of an individual cannot be controlled. And as far as ethical issues are concerned, this instance cannot be considered to be an issue. In this particular situation, the best measure would be to assign someone else for conducting the research ahead who can take up the place of the deceased researcher (Cozby 1-10). QUESTION 4 (B) It can be affirmed that the provided experiment do not violate the guidelines that have been articulated in the APA ethical standard 8 dealing with research with human participants. There are various ways through which this particular aspect can be improved. In this similar concern, one of the vital ways can be complying with the principles of code of conduct and theories or concepts associated with the behaviors of the psychologists. These principles basically values integrity, responsibility, beneficence and respect (Cozby 1-10). QUESTION 4 (C) In relation to this particular experiment concerning the death of the person, the best thing to suggest would be to hire someone else with relevant experience in the field of behavioral research. A person with expertise in human psychology and various individual behavioral patterns is needed to be properly trained for conducting any research successfully (Cozby 1-10). Work Cited Cozby, Paul C. Methods in Behavioral Research. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 2000. Print. Read More