PSY 3143 Week 4 - Ethical Dilemmas in I/O Psychology Research PDF

PSY 3143: Psychology at Work I: Measuring organizational characteristics Week 4: Ethical Dilemmas in I/O Psychology Research Vaishnavi Ram Mohan Overview In this module, we will cover: What are Research Ethics? Observing Ethics in I/O Psychology Research Outc...

PSY 3143: Psychology at Work I: Measuring organizational characteristics Week 4: Ethical Dilemmas in I/O Psychology Research Vaishnavi Ram Mohan Overview In this module, we will cover: What are Research Ethics? Observing Ethics in I/O Psychology Research Outcomes At the conclusion of this module, you should be able to: Understand the ethical principles governing research in I/O psychology Demonstrate familiarity with key reports, codes of conduct and ethical guidelines developed to guide research in psychology Understand specific guidelines and nuances relating to carrying out research in the workplace. Appreciate certain practical constraints impacting what kind of research is possible in the field. Reading List: Required Reading: APA ethics code: https://www.apa.org/ethics/code Optional Reading: Some concepts to look up: Milgram’s Obedience Studies The Stanford Prison Experiment John B Watson’s Little Albert Experiment Let’s do a quick refresher The Scientific Method & Research Process Problem 01 Identification 4 02 Generate/ Formulate Hypotheses 3 Research 03 2 design Cont The Research Process 1 rol 04 Data collection Predict Explain 05 Data analysis Interpretation Describe of results & 06 reporting of findings Overview of Research Ethics in Psychology Psychological Research has come a long way… Two main areas Welfare and Dignity Of both human and non-human participants in research Procedure and Results Uphold the integrity of the discipline of science through accurate and honest reporting in research Ethical principles cover EVERY aspect of the research process. This means that ethical principles have a bearing on: The research method/measurement technique to be used The selection of individuals to participate in the research Data collection Data analysis Reporting of results Use of the research findings The Nuremberg Code The Nuremberg Code, established in 1947 is a seminal treatise and a set of ethical principles guiding human experimentation. The Nuremberg code was established as part of the Nuremberg trials following the conclusion of World War II, after certain horrific experiments carried out by the Nazi regime came to light. The Nuremberg Code has ten points: 1. Voluntary, informed consent of subjects-free 6. Degree of risk not to exceed humanitarian power of choice - no force, fraud, deceit or importance duress. This must be based on documented 7. Proper preparations and adequate facilities and sufficient knowledge and comprehension provided to protect participants from even of research. remote risks of injury or distress. 2. Research should yield positive results 8. Only scientifically qualified researchers to 3. Experiments to be designed and based on conduct the experiment, with the highest degree of care taken at all points. results from animal experimentation (especially for diseases and natural science- 9. Terminate participation at any point by related studies. participants. 4. Avoid unnecessary mental and physical 10. Terminate research at any point if need suffering or injury arises. 5. No experiment to be conducted where there is a prior knowledge of any risk of death or disabling injury The Belmont Report (1979) was created in the USA by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. The report has three key This translates into three principles: primary areas of 1. Principle of respect for application as stated participants engaged in below: research. Researchers must 1. Informed consent be truthful and courteous. 2. Assessment of risks and 2. Principle of beneficence; do benefits no harm by minimizing risks 3. Selection of subjects. to the subject and maximizing benefits of the research 3. Principle of justice: ensure non-exploitative, reasonable and considered procedures are administered fairly. The APA Ethics Code (2017) Has five key principles: 1. Principle A: Beneficence and Non-maleficence: Psychologists strive to benefit those with whom they work and take care to do no harm. 2. Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility: Psychologists establish relationships of trust with those with whom they work. They are aware of their professional and scientific responsibilities to society and to the specific communities in which they work. 3. Principle C: Integrity: Psychologists seek to promote accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness in the science, teaching, and practice of psychology. Psychologists do not steal, cheat or engage in fraud, subterfuge, or intentional misrepresentation of fact. 4. Principle D: Justice: Psychologists recognize that fairness and justice entitle all persons to access to and benefit from the contributions of psychology and to equal quality in the processes, procedures, and services being conducted by psychologists. 5. Principle E: Respect for People's Rights and Dignity: Psychologists respect the dignity and worth of all people, and the rights of individuals to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination. Formerly, the APA guidelines (2002) comprised ten ethical standards to guide psychologists in their profession and scientific work. The overarching goal was the welfare and protection of individuals. 1. No harm 2. Privacy and confidentiality 3. Institutional approval 4. Competence 5. Record keeping 6. Informed consent 7. Dispensing with informed consent 8. Offering inducement for participants 9. Deception in research 10. Debriefing Institutional Review Board (IRB) All research institutions must establish a committee composed of scientists and non-scientists whose mandate is to examine all proposed research involving human participants using seven basic criteria for approval. These are: 1. Minimization of risks to participants 2. Reasonable risk in relation to benefits 3. Equitable selection for all potential participants 4. Informed consent 5. Documentation of informed consent 6. Data monitoring 7. Privacy and confidentiality This committee will then suggest modification to the research proposal or decline approval for the study Procedural Integrity This is concerned with the quality and integrity of the research in terms of how it was done and covers data collection, analysis and reporting. It covers the following key tenets: 1. Fabrication i.e. falsifying or misrepresenting data 2. Errors (above certain thresholds) 3. Fraud i.e. garnering data for false purposes 4. Plagiarism  Research Ethics in Psychology What NOT to do… Workplace research is quite different from laboratory research Informed consent in the lab setting involves explaining the nature of the study, the potential use of the data and the limits of confidentiality amongst others, then getting a signed form from the participant. If we are looking to replicate this in the work context e.g. asking participants for feedback on their work environment, this may be difficult for two reasons: Would participants consent easily to give feedback in a context where they work? Would giving away all the details of the study change the way people behave? Also, when studies involve negative consequences for a subject, informed consent can be waived only if the benefits of the study outweigh the negative consequences. E.g. work environment – keeping some participants in a dirty, cold room and* See: Aamodt (2007), page 17 - others in a clean, The Hawthorne Effect: Observation Changes Behaviour The Hawthorne effect is a type of reaction where individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed. A similar concept is the Demand Effect or Demand Characteristics, where participants form an assumption about what the researcher is looking for and subconsciously modifying their behaviour to fit that expectation. * Read up on the Hawthorne Studies and the Hawthorne E Factors governing I/O research in the workplace: Practicality: If we wanted to examine the impact of working conditions on job performance, would it be acceptable to give one group of employees good conditions and another group poor conditions? Or, let’s say, we wanted to examine the impact of “a toxic boss” on “intention to leave.” Would any organization allow you to expose some employees to unpleasant behaviour to test if Let’s they will stay? explore this Data sensitivity: most I/O data collected is highly sensitive e.g. a bit test scores, performance ratings, salary data, employee personal more… data. It is difficult to balance the line between using this data, keeping it confidential and applying it, especially if conducting applied research Confidentiality may be compromised under the demands placed on the psychologist by managers wanting information from or about their employees. I/O psychologists may find themselves conflicted on whether the organization is their client or individuals, especially considering individuals’ right to feedback in organizational decisions. A fine ethical line exists between Conducting research from within an organization: learnings from the field Resourcing: Companies operate within constraints of budget, time and staffing. There is not necessarily the bandwidth, or appetite, to dedicate resources to research projects within an organization. More so in the context of experiments, where organizing carefully controlled environments requires further investment. Interference with “BAU” – Everybody has “a day job” and “business as usual” to achieve. This means complex studies that threaten operations are very rarely sanctioned. Survey fatigue: In a work context, people are not always receptive to completing surveys or participating in focus groups. Low response rates are a common hazard and therefore the kind of analysis done is different. Benefits to the organization – if you want approval to conduct research in an organization, it usually starts with two words: BUSINESS CASE. You must be able to demonstrate tangible financial or strategic benefits to the company. This means the nature of the study and the kind of topics to be researched are not led by your interest, but the business’s need. It must be practical. Summary and Recap Thank You