Ethics Eassy
AP Psychology
Ethics Essay
Ethical Issues Arising from Social Experiments
The following experiments were unethical to the participants. Some of their treatment was inhumane. The experiments broke moral principles and rules of conduct. There are many examples and evidence when these following events occurred. Such as in The Milgram Obedience experiment the participants were put through intentional deception. In A Class Divided: Jane Elliot, the participants (students) were put into high stress. In The Harlow Affection experiment the approach was inhumane because the rhesus monkey was not cared for as well as it should have been. As for the Standford Prison Experiment, confidentiality was broken, the participants were treated inhumane, and by putting them in solitary confinement the participants ran the risk of mental health. For all of the experiments the ends did not justify the means. In turn, in the Milgram Obedience experiment, The following APA guidelines were broken by deception. Deception was involved; participants were informed that they were testing the effect of discipline on concentration when in fact they themselves were the ones being tested on to research obedience to authority. I feel as it was unnecessary to deceive the participants of the true purpose of the experiments because they could have taken a different approach. Many of the participants did not leave in the same state the entered the experiment and many left stressed. Breaking the APA guideline of protection to the participants was also unnecessary. By letting the participants think that they possibly killed someone was putting the participants’ mental health at risk. The participants had been abused and not enough was done to protect them from psychological damage. Another APA guideline that was broken was when they did not allow the participants to withdraw from the experiment when the participants wanted to. This could have enhanced the stress of the participants. In
Ethics Essay
Ethical Issues Arising from Social Experiments
The following experiments were unethical to the participants. Some of their treatment was inhumane. The experiments broke moral principles and rules of conduct. There are many examples and evidence when these following events occurred. Such as in The Milgram Obedience experiment the participants were put through intentional deception. In A Class Divided: Jane Elliot, the participants (students) were put into high stress. In The Harlow Affection experiment the approach was inhumane because the rhesus monkey was not cared for as well as it should have been. As for the Standford Prison Experiment, confidentiality was broken, the participants were treated inhumane, and by putting them in solitary confinement the participants ran the risk of mental health. For all of the experiments the ends did not justify the means. In turn, in the Milgram Obedience experiment, The following APA guidelines were broken by deception. Deception was involved; participants were informed that they were testing the effect of discipline on concentration when in fact they themselves were the ones being tested on to research obedience to authority. I feel as it was unnecessary to deceive the participants of the true purpose of the experiments because they could have taken a different approach. Many of the participants did not leave in the same state the entered the experiment and many left stressed. Breaking the APA guideline of protection to the participants was also unnecessary. By letting the participants think that they possibly killed someone was putting the participants’ mental health at risk. The participants had been abused and not enough was done to protect them from psychological damage. Another APA guideline that was broken was when they did not allow the participants to withdraw from the experiment when the participants wanted to. This could have enhanced the stress of the participants. In
Cited: * APA Ethical guidelines * William Peters, A Class Divided, Then and now, expanded edition, 1987 * Obedience to Authority, Stanley Milgram, Harperperennial modernthought,1974 * http://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/p/harlow_love.htm * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bWITZZN3DY&feature=youtube_gdata_player * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zeSBBbM59I&feature=youtube_gdata_player * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZwfNs1pqG0&feature=youtube_gdata_player * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f6LLV3fkXg&feature=youtube_gdata_player