Ethical Procedures

Ethical Procedures and Guidelines Defining Psychological Research

Psychological research is often a very controversial subject among experts.
Many people feel that there are many moral standards that are often not followed. Others may believe that there is much harmful misinformation that can often be harmful to subject and others. Still others believe that psychology is a lot of theories without any reinforcing information. Whether any of these assumptions may be true or not, there have been guidelines created which serve to silence many critics of the science. These guidelines make research safe and structured, which will protect the subjects from unnecessary harm. As psychology advances, there is seen a need for more rules and
First of all, psychologists are never supposed to use deception unless no other alternative of method for the experiment at hand is available. The deception cannot be in a manner that would affect the participants' decision to participate. And any deception that takes place should always be explained as soon as possible, after the experiment has reached its conclusion. In order to preserve subjects dignity, the information about the experiment that the subjects have participated in should be made available to the subjects as soon as possible. This includes, the exact nature of the experiment, the results , and the conclusions of the experiment. This will probably have been already agreed upon by the experimenter and the subject, but just in case, the experimenters are required to honor all commitments made to the subject. This improves the credibility of the whole science, as a whole. When the subjects are not human, there are still rules governing the treatment of such subjects. These pertain mostly to protecting the (relative) comfort of these subjects during experimentation. Basically, when experimenting upon animals, basic care procedures must be followed. When anesthetic
The last area of ASA code lies in reporting information. The natural plagiarism laws are, as always, in effect. This is in addition to many precise scientific falsification laws. These state that a scientist may not falsify or fabricate information, first of all. Also, if a psychologist discovers any significant errors in the study after the fact, steps to correct these errors must be taken immediately. Also, the psychologists must give credit when it is necessary, and never neglect to leave any information out. All of these regulations seem to be very logical, and it is well that they should. They have been developed over hundreds of years throughout the study of psychology. With respect to current times, these rules seem like they are sufficient, but the book of code should never be closed. There will always be a new situation where a new addendum is required to protect a subject, or to assist in the research. As is the case with therapy, there will, without a doubt, be court cases that will change the code of ethics. But the ASA codes seem to be as proficient as any that are practical in this age. Some of these regulations may inhibit the immediate results that can be gained, but