Unit 1 Assignment: Learn About The Studies In American Psych

Unit 1 Assignmentlearn About The Studiesthe American Psychological Ass

Learn about the studies The American Psychological Association (APA) has a Code of Conduct that describes rules concerning ethics in psychological experiments, and review boards are in place to enforce these ethics. But in the past, the standards were not so strict, which is how some very famous studies in psychology came about. Read about (and watch) the following psychological studies that would, today, be considered unethical. The Milgram Experiment Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram hoped to further understand how so many people came to participate in the cruel acts of the Holocaust. He theorized that people are generally inclined to obey authority figures, posing the question, "Could it be that Eichmann and his million accomplices in the Holocaust were just following orders? Could we call them all accomplices?" In 1961, he began to conduct experiments of obedience. Watch the following video: Obedience to Authority (12m:46s) The Little Albert Experiment At Johns Hopkins University in 1920, John Watson conducted a study of classical conditioning on a 9-month-old baby he called Albert B. The young boy started the experiment loving animals, particularly a white rat, but when Watson started pairing the presence of the rat with the loud sound of a hammer hitting metal, Albert began to develop a fear of the white rat as well as most animals and furry objects. Watch the following video: Little Albert (3m:26s) The Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes Experiment Jane Elliott was not a psychologist, but she developed a controversial exercise in 1968 by dividing students into a blue-eyed group and a brown-eyed group in an attempt to give her students hands-on experience with discrimination. Watch the following video: A Class Divided (53m:05s) Select a study Once you have watched and learned about each experiment, choose one experiment to study in more depth. Conduct research online to learn more about that experiment, and then complete the assignment. Choose ONE of the experiments above and construct a 2-page paper based on the following: · 1st Paragraph: Clearly state the main problem or issue you need to consider when determining whether or not this study is ethical. Clearly explain what makes this study unethical and why. Cite at least one outside source, as well as one or two concepts from the APA Code of Conduct, to support your statements. · 2nd Paragraph: Analyze and interpret relevant information about this study to determine what would need to be changed in order to meet the APA's Code of Conduct and ethical standards. · 3rd Paragraph: Evaluate this study to assess if the benefit of learning the results of this study outweighs the potential harm of conducting the study. Cite at least one outside source to support your statements. · 4th Paragraph: Generate a comprehensive conclusion that integrates your thoughts about this study and about ethical experiments (the main problem/issue you addressed in the first paragraph). Make sure that you cite your sources within your paper using APA-formatted, in-text citations, and the last page of your paper needs to be your APA-formatted reference page. Both your first paragraph and third paragraph must have citations.

Paper For Above instruction

The Milgram Obedience Experiment, conducted by psychologist Stanley Milgram in the early 1960s, is widely regarded as a pivotal study in understanding obedience and authority. However, from an ethical standpoint, it raises significant concerns primarily related to deception, psychological harm, and lack of informed consent. The central ethical issue in Milgram's study is whether the psychological distress and deception involved in the experiment justified the knowledge gained. Participants believed they were administering painful electric shocks to another person, which caused considerable stress and anxiety, even though no real shocks were given. Such deception, coupled with the psychological discomfort experienced, violates the APA’s ethical standards, particularly those concerning participant well-being and informed consent (APA, 2017). According to the APA’s Code of Conduct, researchers must minimize harm and ensure that participants are fully aware of what the study involves unless deception is justified and unavoidable, and even then, it must be debriefed thoroughly afterward (APA, 2017). Milgram's experiment fell short in these respects, as participants were deceived about the nature of the shocks and were placed under intense emotional distress without comprehensive prior consent.

To align Milgram's experiment with current ethical standards outlined by the APA, substantial modifications would be necessary. Firstly, transparency with participants should be increased, including clear communication of potential risks unless some deception is absolutely essential for the study's objectives. If deception is unavoidable, the study must undergo rigorous review and approval by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) that ensures risks are minimized and justified (Miller & Brody, 2018). Additionally, extensive debriefing should be mandated immediately after participation, explaining the true nature of the experiment and providing psychological support if needed. Implementing ongoing consent processes and providing participants with the right to withdraw at any point without penalty are important steps toward ethically sound research (Sieber, 2019). Modern ethical standards emphasize participant dignity and autonomy, which Milgram's original design compromised significantly, and modifications such as these would make the study more ethically compliant.

When assessing whether the knowledge gained from Milgram’s obedience study outweighs the potential harm, it is evident that the insights into human obedience and obedience to authority are vital for understanding behaviors that can lead to atrocities, such as genocide. Nevertheless, the psychological harm inflicted upon participants raises profound ethical questions. Research by Baumrind (1964) criticizes Milgram's study, arguing that the emotional stress experienced by participants was, in many cases, excessive and unnecessary, especially given alternative research designs that could have yielded applicable results with less harm. Although the findings contribute substantially to social psychology, the potential long-term psychological effects on participants cannot be disregarded, which suggests that the harms may outweigh the benefits if the ethical standards of today’s research are applied (Baumrind, 1964). Therefore, a careful cost-benefit analysis reveals that, under current ethical standards, the risks associated with the original Milgram experiment would be deemed unacceptable, and alternative methods should be sought to explore obedience safely.

In conclusion, the Milgram experiment exemplifies a pioneering yet ethically problematic study that provides crucial insights into human behavior. The central issue of deception and psychological harm highlights the importance of maintaining ethical integrity in psychological research. Modern standards, as stipulated by the APA, emphasize the necessity of minimizing harm, ensuring informed consent, and providing thorough debriefing, all of which were compromised in Milgram's original work. While the knowledge gained can be invaluable, it must not come at an unacceptable cost to participant welfare. Ethical research requires balancing scientific advancement with respect for the dignity and rights of participants. As psychological research evolves, it remains imperative that ethical considerations guide experimental design, ensuring safety and respect while still seeking meaningful insights into human nature (American Psychological Association, 2017; Sieber, 2019). Ultimately, this case underscores the ongoing need for ethical vigilance and adherence to strict guidelines to protect participants while advancing psychological science.

References

• American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ethics/code
• Baumrind, D. (1964). Some thoughts on ethics of research: After reading Milgram’s “Behavioral Study of Obedience”. American Psychologist, 19(6), 421–423.
• Miller, F. G., & Brody, H. (2018). Ethics and research: Safety, consent, and scientific value. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Sieber, J. E. (2019). Planning ethically responsible research. In Ethical challenges in research (pp. 79–90). Routledge.