Psych664 Wk 1 Discussion Research Ethics

In the field of psychology and all scientific disciplines, ethical considerations are essential for conducting responsible and credible research. In this discussion, you will consider ethical responsibilities for researchers. Before completing this discussion, review Principles A–E in the “General Principles” section of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct page from the American Psychological Association (APA). Select 1 of the following scenarios and respond to the corresponding questions. Scenario 1 You are assisting with a longitudinal study (a type of research in which the same people are studied over a long period of time) on adolescent social media use and mental health. One participant, who is 16 years old, initially provided assent with parental consent. Midway through the study, the participant expresses a desire to withdraw, but their parent insists they continue, arguing the research is beneficial and harmless. Respond to the following: • What are some ethical responsibilities you must observe when working with adolescent participants in research studies? • Which of the ethical principles from the APA are most applicable to the scenario? Explain. • What ethical conflict(s) could arise between adolescent autonomy and parental authority in research participation? • What steps could you take to ethically resolve the conflict(s) between participants and parental preferences? Scenario 2 You are conducting data analysis using a publicly available dataset on health outcomes and socioeconomic status. While reviewing the data, you notice that some items could be used to infer sensitive information about individuals or communities, such as undocumented immigration status or mental health diagnoses, even though the dataset no longer includes names or direct identifiers. Respond to the following: • What are some ethical responsibilities you must observe when working with data? • Which of the ethical principles from the APA are most applicable to decisions about data use? • What ethical conflict(s) could arise when sensitive information can be inferred from anonymized data? • What steps could you take to ethically analyze, report, or publish sensitive data?