Ethical Issues in Humans

·         The decision to participate based on information about the nature of the experiment

·         Basic right stemming for inhumane experiences

·         Can be an issue as participants will change their behaviour if they know the aims

·         Especially important where harm is involved

·         Langer and Rodin, patients didn’t know they were taking part in an experiment at all

·         The right to have personal information protected

·         The zone of inaccessibility that should not be invaded, controlling information about ourselves

·         Data protection acts makes confidentiality a right, however researchers may need to associate individuals information with particular data

·         Privacy is lost in covert observations

·         Sometimes necessary

·         Rahe, Mahan and Arthur 

·         Not telling the participant the true aims of the study

·         Means people cannot give fully informed consent

·         Can cause change in behaviours if not used

·         Lack of honesty

·         Humphreys Tea Room Study 

·         Informing participants they can withdraw their data at any time

·         Problematic if informed consent was not gained in the first place

·         Participants may feel to embarrassed to withdraw

·         May not leave if there is a reward

·         Zimbardo

·         Should not experience physical or psychological harm

·         It isn’t always possible to anticipate harm

·         Zimbardo