Ethical Research on Humans

Psychology research on humans

Any planned study involving human subjects must be approved by the supervising teacher following discussions with the student(s). Furthermore, the following points apply.

• Protection from harm

Classmates must be free to choose whether they wish to participate, and can withdraw at any time. Any research that creates anxiety, stress, pain or discomfort for participants is not permitted. In addition, [researchers] must exercise the greatest sensitivity to local, national and international cultures.

Partial deception may be allowed … where full knowledge of the study would fundamentally affect the outcome. Such [studies] are permissible provided they do no harm and participants are fully debriefed at the end. Participants retain their right to withdraw their data at this point. Conformity or obedience studies are not permitted under any circumstances.

• Ethical considerations for interviews

Caution should be exercised around sensitive issues regardless of the structure of the interview study. It would therefore be inappropriate for students to interview other students on topics such as, for example, mental health concerns or diagnosis, experiences of bullying or self-harm. ... More appropriate topics for students to interview each other include subjects such as stress reduction techniques, healthy lifestyle habits or media consumption.

• Informed consent

Ethical guidelines demand that explicit informed consent must be obtained from subjects … through the use of a consent form. Implied consent is not acceptable. All participants must be informed of the aims and objectives of the [research]. All participants must be informed before commencing … that they have the right to withdraw at any time. Pressure must not be placed on any individual participant to continue with the investigation….

Parental consent is not required for participants aged 16 and older. [S]tudies involving children under 16 require written consent of parent(s) or guardian(s). Students must ensure that parents are fully informed about the implications for children who take part in such research. It is permitted to study children under the age of 12, as long as appropriate ethical considerations are addressed, especially regarding parental informed consent. Where a ... study is conducted with children in a school, the written consent of the teachers concerned must also be obtained.

Students must not conduct research with any participant who is not in a fit state of mind and cannot respond freely and independently. …

When conducting a naturalistic observation, participants will not be able to give informed consent, and its debriefing would be difficult and ineffectual. Asking participants for their consent will alert them to being studied and may therefore influence their behaviour. Therefore, it is up to the teacher to decide which situations are appropriate to observe and what would be unethical. In general, it is acceptable to conduct naturalistic observations in areas where participants would expect to be observed by strangers or “in public”. Examples include in a shopping centre, on public transport, on the street.

While surveys/questionnaires raise fewer ethical issues than many other research methods, care should still be taken to ensure students understand that consent must still be gained before issuing a survey/questionnaire.

• Data protection

All data collected must be stored in a confidential and responsible manner and not disclosed to any other person. Anonymity for each participant must be guaranteed even after the [study] has finished.

Data must not be used for purposes other than that agreed to by the participants. Any data collected or stored online must be deleted once the research is complete. Such data must not be used for any purpose other than the conduct of the … study.

For more information about ethical practices in psychology, … refer to..: American Psychological Association, Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association, Australian Psychological Society, British Psychological Association, Canadian Psychological Association, Chinese Psychological Society, European Federation of Psychology Teachers, Japanese Psychological Association, National Association of Psychological Science (India), National Latinx Psychological Association, Pan Africa Psychology Union, Psychological Society of South Africa, The Middle East Psychological Association, The Society of Indian Psychologists. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.

physiology experiments in the sciences

Any planned experimentation involving human subjects must be approved by the supervising teacher following discussions with the student(s). Furthermore, the following points apply.

• Written permission from each participant must be obtained. Confidential informed consent forms are mandatory.

• The investigation must not use participants under the age of 16 without the written consent of their parents or guardians.

• A written declaration ensuring that each participant is of good physical health, such as a physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q), must also be obtained if the investigation includes moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity.

• Experiments that administer substances, including but not limited to alcohol, drugs, medicines or dietary supplements (including beverages containing caffeine and energy drinks), are not acceptable and must not be carried out.

• Experiments involving any body fluids (such as sweat, blood, urine and saliva) must not be performed due to the risk of the transmission of pathogens.