Psych

DPSY 6215/8215

Example of Discussion Post and Peer Response

Example of Main Discussion

Wk1 Main Post

Children younger than age 18 are one population that is studied in developmental

research. Children are considered a vulnerable population because they may lack the cognitive

maturity to provide informed consent for research procedures (Berk, 2014).

In addition to standard ethical principles as identified by the American Psychological

Association (APA, 2010), there are particular ethical considerations that should be followed

when conducting research with a vulnerable population (Society for Research in Child

Development [SRCD], 2012). If there is any potential for harm or risk as a part of the research

procedures, the investigator should try to seek other methods for obtaining information (APA,

2010; SRCD, 2012). Additionally, the investigator must obtain approval from an institutional

review board. The child’s parents or legal guardians must provide informed consent. Children

who are old enough to understand must also agree to participate in the study and provide assent

(SRCD, 2012).

Additional ethical precautions, including maintaining confidentiality and anonymity,

should also be in place to ensure that the participants cannot be identified through the research

and that none of the information they share with the investigator will be used for any purpose

outside the study without their prior consent (APA, 2010; SRCD, 2012).

References

American Psychological Association. (2010a). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of

conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

Berk. L. E. (2014). Development through the lifespan (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

Education.

Society for Research in Child Development. (2012b). Ethical standards in research. Retrieved

from http://www.srcd.org/about-us/ethical-standards-research

Example of Response to Peer

RE: Wk1 Response to Nikki

Hi, Nikki. You made some good points in your post about ethical considerations when

conducting research with older adults. As you mentioned, older individuals with ailing health

and mental abilities might not be sufficiently competent to provide informed consent and would

require a legal guardian to give consent to participate in the study. On a related note, even if they

are mentally competent, they might not be able to understand technical wording and complex

procedures in a consent form. They might also mistakenly believe that enrolling in the research

might directly benefit them therapeutically (University of Miami, n.d.). It is important to make

sure the consent form is written in simple and understandable language. The IRB would help in

reviewing the content of the consent form and making any recommendations to clarify the

language (APA, 2010).

References

American Psychological Association. (2010a). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of

conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

University of Miami. (n.d.). Geriatrics: Research issues. Retrieved August 27, 2016, from

http://www.miami.edu/index.php/ethics/projects/geriatrics_and_ethics/geriatrics_research

_issues/