Ethical Research
Introduction:
Was Stanley Milgram’s study of obedience unethical? Milgram demonstrated convincingly that situational influences can lead most people to obey the commands of an authority. In this lesson, you explored Milgram’s studies and learned a compelling and undeniable lesson about human behavior; however, the participants in those studies learned an undeniable (and not altogether flattering) lesson about themselves. Think about the pros and cons of Milgram’s studies while completing this assignment.
Although Milgram followed standard experimental protocols, should these experiments have been conducted at all, or the research participants placed in that position? Several commentators over the years have addressed the ethical considerations surrounding this set of experiments.
Tasks: Redesigning Milgram’s Experiment
Using the information from the lesson presentation and the textbook, create a scientific experiment that you believe would measure obedience, like Milgram’s experiments, without harming the subjects.
For this assignment, you should:
- Develop your hypothesis.
- Describe how your experiment would be set up.
- Defend why you chose this method of experimentation in your assignment.
You may use any of the research methods discussed, but remember that your Internal Review Board must find that you will adhere to the APA Code of Ethics providing that no harm will be done to your subjects.
- You can use the worksheet Psychology Research Methods located on the summary page of this week’s Lesson Presentationto help you organize and understand the psychological research methods on pages 22-30 of the textbook.
Deliverables and Format:
Submit your answer in one- to two-page Microsoft Word document. Follow APA guidelines to cite any references used in your assignment. Your submission must include at least one reference in addition to the textbook.
Font: Arial; 12-point
Line Spacing: Double
Page margins: 1 inch
Evaluation Criteria:
Before you submit your assignment, check the following:
P Correct and appropriate use of the week’s psychological terminology is included.
P The hypothesis is presented as an “educated guess.”
P Explanation follows the scientific method.
P You adequately defended the method you chose.
P Research description meets the APA Code of Ethics that no harm will be done to your subjects.
P Resources are documented using APA in-text citations and references.
