Research Ethics: Lecture Quiz (15/15) Flashcards
What distinguishes the ethical frameworks of consequentialism and deontology from each other? Mark all correct options.
A) Unlike deontology, consequentialism focuses solely on consequences when evaluating the moral status of actions.
B) Unlike consequentialism, deontology attributes moral status to actions, rather than the consequences of actions.
C) While both consequentialism and deontology are ‘consequence-oriented frameworks’, consequentialism (unlike deontology) only attributes moral status to the immediate consequences of actions. Deontology also takes their indirect consequences into account.
A) Unlike deontology, consequentialism focuses solely on consequences when evaluating the moral status of actions.
B) Unlike consequentialism, deontology attributes moral status to actions, rather than the consequences of actions.
The statements below are all normative in that they express some kind of prescription, but what kind of prescription is it? Match each statement with the type of prescription it expresses (one of each kind). (A-E with 1-5)
A) You should look at more data before you accept the hypothesis.
B) You must pay your taxes.
C) You are not allowed to pick up the ball with your hands.
D) You must not cause harm.
E) You shouldn’t rest your elbows on the table.
1) Morality
2) Law
3) Methodology
4) Etiquette (convention)
5) (Non-legal) convention
A - 3
B - 2
C - 5
D - 1
E - 4
Consequentialism and deontology both make important contributions to research ethics, but in what way? Mark all correct options.
A) Deontology emphasises that harming another human is bad, no matter what.
B) Deontology respects rights and explains why credit attribution needs to be done carefully.
C) Consequentialism factors in the epistemic goals of science (good predictions, for instance).
D) Consequentialism emphasises the greater good, thus factoring in the effects of a scientific study not only on the particular subjects, but on the whole scientific community, as well as on humans in general.
A) Deontology emphasises that harming another human is bad, no matter what.
B) Deontology respects rights and explains why credit attribution needs to be done carefully.
C) Consequentialism factors in the epistemic goals of science (good predictions, for instance).
D) Consequentialism emphasises the greater good, thus factoring in the effects of a scientific study not only on the particular subjects, but on the whole scientific community, as well as on humans in general.
What is virtue ethics about? Characterize virtue ethics by the claims below. Mark all correct options.
A) Morality consists in the possession and exemplification of good character traits.
B) Morality is not (primarily) about duties and consequences.
C) You learn how to be a virtuous person by attempting to behave like other virtuous persons.
D) A virtue-ethical framework consists of a list of duties that all humans are morally obliged to follow.
A) Morality consists in the possession and exemplification of good character traits.
B) Morality is not (primarily) about duties and consequences.
C) You learn how to be a virtuous person by attempting to behave like other virtuous persons.
You have now learned about three frameworks of normative ethics. What are their characteristics? Match each statement to the right moral framework. (A-E with 1-3)
A) If I aim to act in a way that will maximize the happiness in the world, then I am trying to follow a certain kind of…
B) To act morally is to fulfill relevant rules and duties.
C) If Ann has told a lie that had owerwhelmingly bad consequences and Bob defends Ann by showing that her intentions were the best, then Bob’s defense is appealing to…
D) Actions and choices are to be morally assessed only by their consequences.
E) Morality consists in having and developing good character traits.
1) consequentialism
2) deontology
3) virtue ethic
A - 1
B - 2
C - 3
D - 1
E - 3
Which part of the principle of informed consent is threatened by which choice of experimental setup? Match each description to the criterion that it most directly threatens.
A) During a large part of the study, the research subjects will be isolated in a closed room with no means of communicating with the researchers.
B) The research subjects are blinded by not knowing the purpose or the setup of the study.
C) The research subjects are offered ten times their daily salary for each day’s participation.
1) Informed
2) Voluntary
3) Decisionally capacitated
A - 3
B - 1
C - 2
Which of these are examples of consequentialist arguments for using the principle of informed consent? Mark all correct options.
A) If people are allowed to decide for themselves, better consequences are generated, since we all know what makes ourselves happy better than anyone else does.
B) If people are allowed to decide for themselves, people’s trust in science increases, which makes them more likely to participate in scientific studies, which could help save lives.
C) If people are allowed to decide for themselves, people’s rights to their own bodies are respected and that is one fundamental right that cannot be violated.
A) If people are allowed to decide for themselves, better consequences are generated, since we all know what makes ourselves happy better than anyone else does.
B) If people are allowed to decide for themselves, people’s trust in science increases, which makes them more likely to participate in scientific studies, which could help save lives.
In the video it is argued that the Volkswagen case, as it is presented, is problematic from a virtue ethical perspective. Suppose that the case were different in one of the ways below. Which alteration of the scenario would make it unethical from a consequentialist perspective? Which would make it unethical from a deontologist perspective? Match the descriptions with the right framework (the one for which it is most clearly a problem).
A) The participants are not well-educated and are in great need of the money they are paid for participating.
B) The participants are not informed that a previous study showed some negative health effects of exposure to the pollutants.
C) Due to unforeseen events beyond the researchers’ control, the experiment causes great harm to the participants, while adding very little to scientific progress.
1) Unethical according to deontology
2) Unethical according to consequentialism
A - 1
B - 1
C - 2
Which of the following statements about the morality of fabricating and falsifying data are correct? Mark all correct options.
A) All bad methodology is morally blameworthy, and since both fabrication and falsification are examples of bad methodology, they are always morally blameworthy.
B) To fabricate or falsify is to lie, and lying is (typically) deontologically prohibited.
C) Falsification isn’t morally blameworthy since we can never draw the line between falsification and acceptable manipulation of data.
D) Fabricating or falsifying data is dishonest and exhibits poor character traits.
E) Fabricating or falsifying data could produce bad consequences, such as reducing the public’s trust in science.
B) To fabricate or falsify is to lie, and lying is (typically) deontologically prohibited.
D) Fabricating or falsifying data is dishonest and exhibits poor character traits.
E) Fabricating or falsifying data could produce bad consequences, such as reducing the public’s trust in science.
How can we mitigate the effects of scientific misconduct in the form of fabrication, falsification or plagiarism? Mark all correct options.
A) We should counteract such conduct by requiring transparency in scientific institutions.
B) We should support the peer-review system and expose wrongdoers.
C) We should impose continued scrutiny of findings, perhaps by increasing repetition and replication of experiments.
D) We should trust that the problem resolves on its own.
A) We should counteract such conduct by requiring transparency in scientific institutions.
B) We should support the peer-review system and expose wrongdoers.
C) We should impose continued scrutiny of findings, perhaps by increasing repetition and replication of experiments.
According to the 2003 definition by the ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors), what are the criteria that someone needs to fulfil in order to be the author of a publication? Mark all correct options.
A) Contributing to the funding of the work reported on in the publication.
B) Agreeing to be fully accountable for all aspects of the work.
C) Substantial contribution to the conception (the creation) of the work.
D) Drafting the final work.
E) Final approval of the work.
F) Performing the work alone.
B) Agreeing to be fully accountable for all aspects of the work.
C) Substantial contribution to the conception (the creation) of the work.
D) Drafting the final work.
E) Final approval of the work.
What are the ethical reasons to say that correct attribution of authorship is important? This problem builds on the previous lectures about the normative ethical theories. Now it is time to apply them to the question of authorship. Match each argument below with the normative theory it is connected with in the lecture. (A-E with 1-3)
A) It respects intellectual property rights.
B) It is the way in which a good scientist behaves.
C) It provides incentives for scientists, in extension leading to more fruitful science.
D) It is a way of saying that one must always take responsibility for one’s work.
E) It increases the public’s trust in science.
1) Virtue ethics
2) Deontology
3) Consequentialism
A - 2
B - 1
C - 3
D - 2
E - 3
Which of the following moral concerns should researchers weigh in when conducting a study? Mark all correct options.
A) Their intentions with the study.
B) The efficiency of their efforts.
C) Their own interests and inclinations.
D) The promotion of the total good by the study.
A) Their intentions with the study.
B) The efficiency of their efforts.
C) Their own interests and inclinations.
D) The promotion of the total good by the study.
Match the different normative theories with the description of how they could weigh in on the choice of a career. (A-C with 1-3)
A) One should choose a career so that one flourishes in one’s virtues, even if this means spending your life on other things than for instance ending world hunger.
B) One should choose a career so that one fulfills the rights and duties of humans, without making oneself a means to improving the world.
C) One should choose a career in which one creates the best consequences for the largest amount of people, and if necessary disregard any personal interests or preferences.
1) Virtue ethics
2) Deontology
3) Consequentialism
A - 1
B - 2
C - 3
Now that you have watched all videos on ethics, which of the following statements about ethics in science are true? Mark all correct options.
A) Ghost and gift authorship are arguably unethical practices according to all three ethical frameworks.
B) Scientific misconduct is not unethical, it is just methodologically bad.
C) Out of the three ethical frameworks, deontology is the only one that can be used to argue for the principle of informed consent in science.
D) In order to do a good ethical analysis of a scientific project we often need to apply more than one ethical framework.
E) The three ethical frameworks sometimes result in different verdicts. One example of this is the question of moral career choices.
A) Ghost and gift authorship are arguably unethical practices according to all three ethical frameworks.
D) In order to do a good ethical analysis of a scientific project we often need to apply more than one ethical framework.
E) The three ethical frameworks sometimes result in different verdicts. One example of this is the question of moral career choices.
