Ethics review in psychological research

Psychology, as a fundamental and applied science, studies the behavior of humans with empirical and experimental methods. To this end, volunteers are recruited who reveal information about themselves in either natural or experimental settings. Like medical research, psychological research must obey strict ethical principles (according to the Declaration of Helsinki), because it concerns the self-determination, mental, and physical integrity and privacy of the participants.An assessment of psychological research projects according to ethical criteria is therefore mandatory. Research projects must (i) respect the autonomy and dignity of a person, (ii) promise a substantial gain in knowledge, and (iii) maximize the benefits of the research by minimizing possible disadvantages for the participants; (iv) researchers - committed to their social responsibility - must anticipate the social implications of research findings (possibilities of "dual use").Local ethics committees (LECs) for research projects in psychology work on behalf of a university or faculty. They are to be set up as an independent body. The assessment of ethical safety requires the scientific quality of a research project, but must take into account additional considerations. In this respect, it seems sensible that projects that are to be funded by a third-party funder first establish the scientific eligibility and only then the ethical safety by a LEC.