CLOA - ethical considerations related to CLOA research

Question 1

ethical considerations in CLOA

Answer 1

• use of animals in research
• use of non-invasive techniques
• informed consent
• comfort
• anonymity

Question 2

why are animals used?

Answer 2

• less moral obligation involved
• can test some aspects that would be otherwise highly unethical to test in humans

cited study: Clark et al. (2009)

Question 3

guidelines followed in use of animals

Answer 3

• refinement
• replacement
• reduction

Question 4

guidelines followed in use of animals: refinement

Answer 4

• animal research should be as focused as possible

- must be realistic + achievable aims with regard to expansion of information about that species

Question 5

guidelines followed in use of animals: replacement

Answer 5

• researchers should consider all options

- should always look for non-animal methods of investigation

Question 6

guidelines followed in use of animals: reduction

Answer 6

expose as few animals to pain, suffering, and distress as possible

Question 7

animal studies: how did the study chosen follow ethical considerations?

Answer 7

Rosenzweig, Bennet, and Diamond (1972):

• ethical issue against ‘reduction’ guideline: animals were killed for the sake of the experiment
• followed ‘refinement’ guideline: results helped us understand how environmental factors affect neuroplasticity

conclusion: can be argued that the research was justified in spite o„f ethical issues

Question 8

informed consent

Answer 8

• should always be sought after when possible
• some studies (e.g. Sacks, 2007) can’t request informed consent as certain subjects (e.g. Clive Wearing) could not comprehend the nature of the experiment
• therefore could not give informed consent
• but family members/guardians/etc can give consent by proxy

Question 9

informed consent: how did the study chosen follow ethical considerations?

Answer 9

• Clive Wearing was not able to remember participating in research so it could be argued that it was unethical
• however, the findings are significant – this justifies it

Question 10

confidentiality issues

Answer 10

• with case studies, there is higher risk of participants’ anonymity being compromised due to the depth of info obtained and the possible uniqueness of their case
• hence the researcher may need to take extra steps to protect their identity

Study: Sacks (2007)

Question 11

comfort issues

Answer 11

• the researcher should prioritize participants’ comfort over any potential information gain

Study: Loftus et al. (1987)

Question 12

comfort: how did the study chosen follow ethical considerations?

Answer 12

• Loftus et al. (1987) involved staging criminal activity around the participant
• potentially upsetting

Question 13

non-invasive methods of investigation

Answer 13

• non-invasive techniques cause no harm to subjects
• yet can still give valuable insights

cited study: Maguire et al. (2000)