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Short answer
An Institutional Review Board (IRB) in psychology is a committee that reviews research involving human participants before it starts. In the United States, research conducted or supported by federal departments and agencies falls under the Common Rule (45 CFR 46), and the APA Ethics Code (Standard 8) requires psychologists to obtain institutional approval when it is required. Reviewers look at risk, informed consent, deception, debriefing and confidentiality.
What is IRB in psychology? Definition and scope
For psychology research, the IRB is the body that checks a study’s protocol for participant protections before data collection. Psychology studies often carry behavioral, emotional and social risks rather than physical ones; this page covers that behavioral-research view. For the general regulatory picture, see the guide on what an Institutional Review Board is.
The Common Rule applies to research involving human subjects that is conducted, supported or otherwise regulated by a federal department or agency that has adopted it, and institutions engaged in such research must comply (45 CFR 46.101). Typical psychology work that can fall within scope includes experiments, surveys, interviews, observation and cognitive testing.
How IRB review works in psychological research
Psychologists work under two overlapping frameworks: the federal Common Rule and the APA Ethics Code.
Institutional approval (APA Standard 8.01)
When institutional approval is required, psychologists provide accurate information about their research proposals, obtain approval prior to conducting the research, and conduct the research in accordance with the approved protocol.
Informed consent (APA Standard 8.02)
Participants are told about the purpose, expected duration and procedures; their right to decline and to withdraw; the foreseeable consequences of declining or withdrawing; reasonably foreseeable factors that may influence willingness to participate, such as potential risks, discomfort or adverse effects; prospective benefits; limits of confidentiality; incentives; and whom to contact with questions.
Standard 8.04(b) adds that when participation is a course requirement or extra-credit opportunity, the prospective participant is given the choice of equitable alternative activities. Research integrity in psychology is also covered in the gift and ghost authorship survey guide.
Deception in research (APA Standard 8.07)
Standard 8.07 sets three conditions:
- Psychologists do not conduct a study involving deception unless they have determined that deceptive techniques are justified by the study’s significant prospective scientific, educational or applied value and that effective nondeceptive alternative procedures are not feasible.
- They do not deceive prospective participants about research that is reasonably expected to cause physical pain or severe emotional distress.
- They explain any deception that is an integral feature of the design as early as is feasible, preferably at the conclusion of participation but no later than the conclusion of data collection, and permit participants to withdraw their data.
Debriefing (APA Standard 8.08)
Psychologists provide a prompt opportunity for participants to obtain appropriate information about the nature, results and conclusions of the research, and take reasonable steps to correct any misconceptions participants may have of which they are aware. If scientific or humane values justify delaying or withholding this information, they take reasonable measures to reduce the risk of harm.
Types of review under the Common Rule
Under the revised Common Rule, a study may be exempt, reviewed through an expedited procedure, or reviewed by the convened IRB.
| Review level | Regulatory basis | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|
| Exempt | 45 CFR 46.104(d) categories | Category 2: educational tests, survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior when specified criteria are met. Category 3: benign behavioral interventions with adult subjects who prospectively agree, when specified criteria are met. |
| Expedited | 45 CFR 46.110 | Research in the expedited categories. The review may be carried out by the IRB chairperson or by experienced reviewers designated by the chairperson, who may not disapprove the research. |
| Convened IRB review | Nonexpedited procedure, 45 CFR 46.108(b) | A research activity may be disapproved only after review under this procedure. |
Where it matters for labs and research offices
- Consent materials: researchers who plan to share data or post preprints on PsyArXiv should check that their approved protocol and consent materials cover it.
- Literature and prior work: a systematic PsycINFO search strategy helps researchers document prior studies when preparing a protocol.
- Funders: the National Science Foundation publishes human-subjects guidance for funded researchers (see Sources).
Common misunderstandings
- Misunderstanding: behavioral research is never risky. Fact: APA Standard 8.02 requires participants to be told of foreseeable risks and discomfort, and Standard 8.07 prohibits deception about research expected to cause severe emotional distress.
- Misunderstanding: deception is banned. Fact: Standard 8.07 permits deception only when it is justified by significant value, nondeceptive alternatives are not feasible, and it is explained to participants.
- Misunderstanding: every project needs the same level of review. Fact: the Common Rule distinguishes exempt, expedited and convened review; your institution’s IRB office decides how a given project is handled.
FAQ
What is IRB in psychology?
It is an institutional committee that reviews psychological and behavioral research involving human participants to check that risks are addressed, informed consent is planned and confidentiality is considered before the study begins.
Is IRB approval a big deal?
Yes. For research covered by the Common Rule, institutions and IRBs must comply with it (45 CFR 46.101), and the APA Ethics Code requires psychologists to obtain approval prior to conducting research when institutional approval is required, and to follow the approved protocol (Standard 8.01).
What IRB should be used for behavioral research?
Researchers generally submit to the IRB of their own institution, which may be a social and behavioral sciences board or a university-wide human research protections office. Your institution’s IRB office will tell you which board applies.
What is IRB an acronym for?
IRB stands for Institutional Review Board.
Sources
Date checked: 2026-11-07.
- American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, Standard 8: Research and Publication. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Human Research Protections. 45 CFR 46. https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/45-cfr-46/index.html
- Legal Information Institute. 45 CFR 46.101, 46.104 and 46.110. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/46.104
- National Science Foundation. Frequently Asked Questions on Human Subjects. https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/hsfaqs.jsp
- American Psychological Association. Institutional review boards. https://www.apa.org/science/leadership/research/institutional-review-board
