Expedited Research

Justifying Minimal Risk Research

How is 'minimal risk' defined in the context of research ethics?

In order for a research study to be classified as 'minimal risk,' the study's procedures must be completely free of any potential physical or psychological harm.

Classify each of the following research procedures by matching it to the correct risk category, based on whether the potential for harm exceeds the threshold of daily life or routine evaluations.

Arrange the steps in the logical process used to analyze whether a psychological research study meets the ethical criteria for 'minimal risk'.

Imagine you are developing a research protocol to study the effects of environmental noise on reading comprehension. Which of the following study designs would you construct to ensure the procedure remains at the level of 'minimal risk'?

Under research ethics guidelines, 'minimal risk' is defined as potential harm that does not exceed the risks individuals ordinarily encounter in their daily lives or during routine physical or psychological evaluations.

Match each component or implication of the 'minimal risk' standard in psychological research with the description that best represents its role in the ethical review process.

An ethics committee is reviewing a research proposal where participants are asked to give a short speech to a small audience. To evaluate whether this study meets the standard of 'minimal risk,' the committee must judge whether the social anxiety induced by the task is no greater than the anxiety typically encountered in _____.

An IRB is evaluating a study on reading comprehension under distraction. To determine if the study qualifies for expedited review, the committee must analyze whether the potential psychological stress of the distraction task is no greater than the level of stress individuals ordinarily experience in their daily lives or during routine examinations. If the study meets this criteria, it is classified as posing _____.

Order the steps an IRB member or researcher must take to evaluate a research proposal's risk status and determine the appropriate level of institutional review board oversight.