Question

22. In the first half of the semester, we discussed 3 examples of situations in which psychology has been unethical. Pick one of those situations, describe the situation, and discuss why it was unethical. Discuss 3 of 4 factors that are involved in informed consent.  

           

Answer 1

Milgram Study 1974

The notorious Milgrim Study is one of the most well known of psychology experiments. Stanley Milgram, a social psychologist at Yale University, wanted to test obedience to authority. He set up an experiment with “teachers” who were the actual participants, and a “learner,” who was an actor. Both the teacher and the learner were told that the study was about memory and learning.

Both the learner and the teacher received slips that they were told were given to them randomly, when in fact, both had been given slips that read “teacher.” The actor claimed to receive a “learner” slip, so the teacher was deceived. Both were separated into separate rooms and could only hear each other. The teacher read a pair of words, following by four possible answers to the question. If the learner was incorrect with his answer, the teacher was to administer a shock with voltage that increased with every wrong answer. If correct, there would be no shock, and the teacher would advance to the next question.

In reality, no one was being shocked. A tape recorder with pre-recorded screams was hooked up to play each time the teacher administered a shock. When the shocks got to a higher voltage, the actor/learner would bang on the wall and ask the teacher to stop. Eventually all screams and banging would stop and silence would ensue. This was the point when many of the teachers exhibited extreme distress and would ask to stop the experiment. Some questioned the experiment, but many were encouraged to go on and told they would not be responsible for any results.

If at any time the subject indicated his desire to halt the experiment, he was told by the experimenter, Please continue. The experiment requires that you continue. It is absolutely essential that you continue. You have no other choice, you must go on. If after all four orders the teacher still wished to stop the experiment, it was ended. Only 14 out of 40 teachers halted the experiment before administering a 450 volt shock, though every participant questioned the experiment, and no teacher firmly refused to stop the shocks before 300 volts.

Why Milgram Study was unethical

• Deception – the participants actually believed they were shocking a real person and were unaware the learner was a confederate of Milgram's.
• Protections of participants - Participants were exposed to extremely stressful situations that may have the potential to cause psychological harm. Many of the participants were visibly distressed.
• Right to Withdrawal - The BPS states that researchers should make it plain to participants that they are free to withdraw at any time (regardless of payment).

Informed consent is based on the moral and legal premise of patient autonomy. Doctors/Psychologists will give you information about a particular treatment or test in order for you to decide whether or not you wish to undergo a treatment or test. This process of understanding the risks and benefits of treatment is known as informed consent.

Components of Informed Consent

There are 4 components of informed consent:

• One must have the capacity (or ability) to make the decision: Decision-making capacity or competency means that one can understand and explain the options, their implications, and give a rational reason why one would decide on a particular option instead of the others.
• Disclosure: The medical provider must disclose information on the treatment, test, or procedure in question, including the expected benefits and risks, and the likelihood (or probability) that the benefits and risks will occur.
• The patient must comprehend the relevant information.
• Documentation of Consent: The patient must voluntarily grant consent, without coercion or duress. Many invasive tests or for treatments with significant risk, the patient should be given a written consent form and a verbal explanation, both preferably in native language.