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Diagnose Dr. Smith's decision based on the rules for adhering to a research protocol. What specific error did she make regarding the protocol modification process?
Case context: Dr. Smith is conducting a psychology study on memory retention. Halfway through the experiment, she realizes that adding a completely new behavioral task to the protocol would provide much better data for her hypothesis. Because she is eager to see the results and considers the task harmless, she immediately starts administering the new task to the next batch of participants, planning to notify the ethics committee in her end-of-year report.
Question: Diagnose Dr. Smith's decision based on the rules for adhering to a research protocol. What specific error did she make regarding the protocol modification process?
Sample answer: Dr. Smith made an ethical error by implementing a non-minor change—adding a completely new behavioral task—to her research design without first seeking additional formal approval. She was required to obtain approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) or relevant ethics committee before administering the new task to any participants.
Key points:
- Adding a completely new behavioral task is not a minor change.
- She implemented the modification before receiving approval.
- She must seek additional formal approval from the IRB or relevant ethics committee.
- Approval must be granted before the modification is implemented in the study.
Rubric: The student must demonstrate comprehension by diagnosing that Dr. Smith violated protocol guidelines by implementing a significant change prior to seeking and receiving formal approval from the IRB or ethics committee.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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