Ethical concerns about experimentation involving humans did not receive much attention until the 1960s. In psychology, several experiments were catalysts in the development of ethical guidelines for researchers using human subjects.
The purpose of this option is to increase your awareness of the ethical issues in social-psychological research. In it you will critically examine two experiments conducted in the 1960s and 1970s: 1) Milgram’s research on obedience and 2) Middlemist and others’ study on invasion of personal space. After reviewing the arguments of their critics and the counter-arguments of the researchers in defense of their work, you will state and defend your position in these debates.
INSTRUCTIONS
In our textbook, read “Deception in Experiments” (p. 42) and “Ethics, Values, and New Research Standards and Practices” (pp. 43–47).
Retrieve the six journal articles listed below.
Personal space invasions in the lavatory: Suggestive evidence for arousal . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 33(5), 541–546.
Bathroom behavior and human dignity . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(2), 120–121.
What to do and what to report: A reply to Koocher . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(2), 122–124.
Behavioral study of obedience . Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371–378.
Some thoughts on ethics of research: After reading Milgram’s “Behavioral study of obedience.” American Psychologist, 19(6), 421–423.
Issues in the study of obedience: A reply to Baumrind . American Psychologist, 19(11), 848–852.
Read these articles carefully, ensuring that you understand how the original experiments were conducted, what objections were raised by their critics, and what arguments the researchers used to defend their research procedures. You are encouraged to use additional sources, especially the documents listed under Additional Resources (below), in your research.
Assess all the of arguments presented and add any other arguments that you may have.
Determine your position on this topic and provide reasons for it.
Write an essay (10-12 pages) on the debates about the ethics of these two pieces of research and on ethical issues in social-psychological research in general. Note when these experiments were conducted and when the ethical guidelines were developed.