Ethics

Question 1

What was the Tuskegee Syphilis Study?

Answer 1

Black men with/without syphilis were studied to determine the long term effects of the disease.

Question 2

What was so appalling about the Tuskegee study?

Answer 2

The men were lied to and told they were being treated, and when penicillin was discovered, the participants were not told.

Question 3

What are three ethical violations present in the Tuskegee Syphilis study?

Answer 3

The men were harmed, the men were not treated with respect, and the researchers targeted a disadvantaged social group.

Question 4

What were two sources of ethical concern in Milgram’s obedience study?

Answer 4

The study was extremely stressful on the “teachers” and there could have been lasting effects.

Question 5

What is the fundamental conundrum?

Answer 5

Trying to balance the potential risks o participants against the value of the knowledge we can gain.

Question 6

What is the Belmont Report?

Answer 6

A report outlining 3 guiding principles for conducting research with human participants.

Question 7

What are the three Belmont guidelines?

Answer 7

Respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.

Question 8

What is the principle of respect for persons?

Answer 8

Research participants should be treated as autonomous agents and that certain groups deserve special protections.

Question 9

What is informed consent?

Answer 9

Research participants’ right to learn about a research project, know its risks and benefits, and decide whether or not to participate.

Question 10

What would coercion involve?

Answer 10

Incentives that are too strong or telling people they would suffer negative consequences if they do not consent.

Question 11

What is the principle of beneficence?

Answer 11

Researchers must take precautions to protect participants from harm and to promote participants’ well-being.

Question 12

What is the principle of justice?

Answer 12

Calls for a fair balance between the kinds of people who participate in research and the kinds of people who benefit from it.

Question 13

What are institutional review boards?

Answer 13

Committees responsible for ensuring that research on humans in conducted ethically.

Question 14

What is an institutional review board’s only job?

Answer 14

To determine whether or not the study is ethical.

Question 15

How is informed consent generally obtained?

Answer 15

By providing a written document that outlines the procedures, risks, and benefits of the research.

Question 16

What is deception?

Answer 16

The withholding of some details of a study from participants (deception through omission) or the act of actively lying to them (deception through commission).

Question 17

Which Belmont principle does deception seem to violate? Why is it permitted?

Answer 17

It seems to violate the respect for persons, but it is justified through the use of the principle of beneficence.

Question 18

What three things must a researcher do during the debriefing process?

Answer 18

Describe and explain any deception, explain the importance of their research, and explain the design of the study.

Question 19

Psychologists who use animals must do what three things?

Answer 19

Care for them humanely, use as few animals as possible, and be sure their research is valuable enough to justify the use of animals.

Question 20

What are the three Rs for animal care?

Answer 20

Replace, refine, and reduce.

Question 21

What does the replace principle of animal care mean?

Answer 21

Researchers should find alternatives to animals when necessary.

Question 22

What does the refine principle of animal care mean?

Answer 22

Researchers must modify experimental procedures and other aspects of animal care to minimize or eliminate animal distress.

Question 23

What does the reduce principle of animal care mean?

Answer 23

Researchers should adopt experimental designs and procedures that require the fewest animals subjects possible.