Question

Researchers must protect participants and be aware of appropriate methods for obtaining information. What ethical considerations are important to research? In about 2 pages, write an analysis of the ethical concerns in the 3 diverse psychological research studies below. Be sure to include a paragraph of overall ethical consideration.

This paper should be 2-3 pages in length and use APA formatting (cover page, paper body formatting, citations, and references: see Rasmussen's APA guide in the Resources tab, or by clicking here. Prior to submitting your paper, be sure you proofread your work to check your spelling and grammar. If you use any outside sources, please cite those sources in APA citation format.

Haslam, S. A., & Reicher, S. D. (2012). Contesting the 'nature' of conformity: What Milgram and Zimbardo's studies really show. Plos Biology, 10(11), doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001426

Larsen, K. S. (1974). Conformity in the Asch experiment. The Journal Of Social Psychology, 94(2), 303-304. doi:10.1080/00224545.1974.9923224

Mischel, W., Ayduk, O., Berman, M. G., Casey, B. J., Gotlib, I. H., Jonides, J., & ... Shoda, Y. (2011). 'Willpower' over the life span: Decomposing self-regulation. Social Cognitive And Affective Neuroscience, 6(2), 252-256. doi:10.1093/scan/nsq081

Answer 1

Ethics can be defined as moral principles or rules of conduct, which should be followed, while carrying out psychological research. A researcher should be morally responsible to protect subjects from any kind of harm, who are willing to participate in the research unselfishly. Researchers are also responsible for respecting the rights and dignity of subjects.

It is important for the researchers to conduct the experiment, post the informed consent of the subjects. The subjects should have all the necessary information about the research (like the purpose and procedures of the research, risks and discomforts involved in the research, etc.). The researcher should involve in debriefing, that is, he or she should discuss the procedure and the findings of the research with the subjects. The participants must be provided a general idea about the research, so that they do not have any misconceptions and anxieties about the research and they leave the research setting with a sense of dignity and knowledge. The subjects should not feel that their time was wasted, while participating in the research. Researchers must ensure that those participating in research should not be stressed. The researchers have the moral duty to protect the participants from any kind of physical and mental harm. They should not be felt embarrassed or frightened or offended, during the research. The researcher should prevent deception of subjects. The subjects should be informed about the nature of the research, unless there is no other option left with the researcher. It is a moral duty of the researcher to keep the subjects and the data obtained from them, anonymous. Confidentiality of research records must be kept by the researcher. The researcher should inform the participants that they can leave a study, as and when they feel uncomfortable, that is, they should be allowed to withdraw their data. They should not be pressurized to continue with the research.