LECTURE 7 Flashcards
What is the origin of the word “ethics”?
The Greek word ethos, meaning custom, habit, character, or dispositions.`
What does ethics investigate?
Normative questions about what people ought to do, focusing on moral decisions, rights, and responsibilities.
What are the two main paradigms in ethics?
Consequentialism and Deontology.
What is Heinz’s dilemma?
A thought experiment where Heinz considers stealing an expensive drug to save his dying wife.
What does selecting “Yes” in Heinz’s dilemma indicate about ethical stance?
Likely to be more consequentialist.
What does selecting “No” in Heinz’s dilemma indicate about ethical stance?
Likely to be more deontologist.
How do consequentialists judge actions?
Based on their consequences, considering the action with the best overall outcomes as morally right.
What is Kant’s test for morally permissible actions?
A maxim is permissible only if it could be willed as a universal law.
How would deontologists view stealing in Heinz’s dilemma?
Morally wrong, as stealing cannot be justified as a universal law.
What are the strengths of consequentialism?
Practical, flexible, and clear by focusing on consequences.
What are the weaknesses of consequentialism?
Consequences are often unpredictable, no act is inherently wrong, and intentions are not judged.
What are the strengths of deontology?
Provides clarity through rules, and good intentions are considered important.
What are the weaknesses of deontology?
Lack of flexibility, no definitive list of good/bad acts, and unclear justification for moral rules.
What are the main ethical guidelines for research?
Nuremberg Code (1947), Declaration of Helsinki (1964), BPS Code of Ethics and Conduct (2021), and Data Protection Act 2018 (UK GDPR implementation).
What principles were included in the Nuremberg Code?
Informed consent, voluntary participation, beneficence, non-maleficence, and the right to withdraw.
What is informed consent in research?
Participants must be informed about the purpose, duration, procedures, risks, discomforts, and benefits to make an informed decision.
What are exceptions to informed consent?
Observational studies in public places and use of publicly available information.
What is voluntary participation?
Prospective participants must decide freely to participate without pressure or coercion.
What is the right to withdraw?
Participants can leave the study and withdraw their data at any time without negative consequences.
What is beneficence and non-maleficence?
Researchers must maximize potential benefits, minimize risks, and protect participants from harm.
What is deception in research?
Intentionally misleading participants about key aspects of the study, which is allowed only if justified, harmless, and disclosed as early as possible.
What is confidentiality in research?
Participants’ data must be treated as confidential, and anonymity must be maintained unless explicitly informed otherwise.
What is pseudonymous data?
Data that does not contain direct identifiers (e.g., name) but may still allow identification.
What was the Tuskegee Syphilis Study?
A study (1932-1972) where treatment was withheld from African American men with syphilis despite penicillin being available, resulting in harm to participants and their families.
What was Milgram’s experiment about?
Assessing obedience to authority by instructing participants to deliver (fake) electric shocks to a confederate.
What were the ethical concerns in Milgram’s experiment?
Deception, lack of informed consent, participant harm, and issues with withdrawal rights.
What was the Stanford Prison Experiment?
A study on the effects of role-playing as guards and prisoners, halted after six days due to physical and psychological abuse.
What were the ethical concerns in the Stanford Prison Experiment?
Informed consent, lack of withdrawal rights, participant harm, and no debriefing.
What was the goal of the Little Albert experiment?
To investigate classical conditioning in children by pairing a rat with a loud sound to create a fear response.
What were the ethical issues in the Little Albert experiment?
Lack of informed consent, participant harm, and inability to withdraw.
What did the Bobo Doll experiments study?
Social learning in toddlers by observing behavior after watching an adult act aggressively toward a Bobo doll.
What are common risks in psychology research?
Lack of informed consent, incidental diagnoses, emotional distress, and data privacy concerns.
How are risks mitigated in developmental psychology?
Obtaining parental consent and monitoring signs of distress during the study.
How are risks mitigated in clinical psychology research?
Mentioning incidental findings in informed consent and having a-priori action plans.
What is the Cyberball game used for in research?
A paradigm to study social exclusion and ostracism by simulating virtual ball-tossing, where participants are later excluded.
What are ethical risks in Cyberball studies?
Deception, difficulty in debriefing, informed consent issues, and harm to participants with past experiences of bullying or discrimination.
What are arguments for animal research?
Helps find new drugs, improves human health, ensures drug safety, and uses animals with genetic similarity to humans.
What are arguments against animal research?
Cruel, expensive, animals and humans differ, and drugs tested on animals are not always safe for humans.
What are the ethical guidelines for animal research?
Housing, feeding, cleanliness, healthcare, no unnecessary pain, and mandatory ethical approval.
