Abstract

Codes of ethical conduct for psychologists tend to be framed in negative terms, with greater emphasis on pitfalls to be avoided at all costs, rather than benefits that should be guaranteed to participants. In this commentary I argue for a more positive outlook on the ethical obligations of psychologists, especially when it comes to sharing the results of their research with study participants. Looking at how this activity is regulated by the Ethical Code of the Italian Association of Psychology (AIP, https://aipass.org/node/11560), I highlight four distinct reasons that make data sharing with participants a highly beneficial practice: reaping educational gains for participants, developing a more sophisticated epistemology, providing a more accurate public image of scientific progress, and fine-tuning research results.