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Research ethics and Institutional Review Boards: The influence of moral constraints on emotion research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 May 2016

Michael Sontag
Michael Sontag*
Affiliation:
Department of General Studies and Philosophy, College of Mount St. Joseph, 5701 Delhi Road, Cincinnati, OH 45233, michael_sontag@mail.msj.edu
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Abstract

Researchers in the twenty-first century face a set of challenges unknown to researchers a half century ago—the need to justify the moral acceptability of their research methods through formal review processes. However, the role that moral constraints play in the development and demise of scientific theories has largely gone unappreciated. The rise of Institutional Review Boards (IRB) in the 1960s compounded the impact of moral constraints on scientific research and on the theories that develop out of such highly monitored research. To demonstrate the effects of moral constraints on scientific theory and research, this paper offers a history and analysis of the interaction between evolving moral standards and twentieth century emotion theory. Recommendations regarding IRB reform are also reviewed. The paper concludes by arguing that, while appropriate IRB reform is important, it cannot eliminate the need for careful reflection on the broader forces that shape scientific practice and understanding.

Keywords

emotion theorymoral constraintsresearch ethicsIRBsWilliam JamesWalter CannonSchachter and Singer experimentIllinois White Paper
Type
Research Articles
Information
Politics and the Life Sciences , Volume 31 , Issue 1-2 , Spring/Fall 2012 , pp. 67 - 79
Copyright
Copyright © Association for Politics and the Life Sciences 

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