history and development of ethical standards in psychology

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where can I find information on the development and history of the ethical standards in psychology and psychology research including the primary sources for studies that led to these standards?

-- Kelly Jordan (kjordan@runner.csub.edu), May 03, 2002

Answers

The standards are regularly published in the American Psychologist and occasionally in other professional journals, with references included. The American Psychologist also publishes an annual report from the ethics committee--these often also have reference sections. In recent years draft versions have been published in the APA Monitor, complete with commentary about the history of the reports and requests for APA member feedback. Complete standards have been published in book form by the American Psychological Association in casebooks. I don't think you'll find many "primary sources" connected with standards, which constitute a kind of "practice case law" rather than the results of research. But you will find extensive discussion of some of the issues. For example, Diana Baumrind's 1954 critique of Stanley Milgram's research on obedience has spawned extensive discussions that have continued into recent years on the issue of deception in research. A search using her name or the phrase "deception" should turn those up.

-- Hendrika Vande Kemp (hendrika@earthlink.net), May 04, 2002.

I believe that the standard of "informed consent" was derived from medical research ethical guidelines developed soon after WWII, in the wake of discoveries about the Nazis having coerced concentration camp inmates to serve as subjects in dangerous (often lethal) medical experiments. I'm afraid I cannot name any sources for you off the top of my head. I suspect most any medical or psychological researcher age 55 or older probably could, however. Ask around.

-- Christopher Green (cgreen@chass.utoronto.ca), May 04, 2002.

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