5 Controversial Psychology Experiments That Would Never Happen Today

SciShow・2 minutes read

The Belmont Report outlines key ethical principles in human research, including respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, to ensure participant protection and fair treatment. Historical psychology experiments like those by John Watson, Wendell Johnson, Stanley Milgram, and Philip Zimbardo highlight the importance of ethical considerations and proper controls to prevent harm and exploitation in research.

Insights

  • The Belmont Report established three crucial ethical principles for human research: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, emphasizing the importance of informed consent, avoiding harm, and ensuring fair treatment of subjects.
  • Various psychological experiments like the Monster Study and the Stanford Prison Experiment underscore the significance of ethical considerations in research, revealing the potential for lasting harm on participants and the profound impact of roles and environments on behavior.

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Recent questions

  • What are the three key ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report?

    The Belmont Report established three key ethical principles for human research: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Respect for persons requires informed consent from research subjects, beneficence dictates avoiding harm to participants, and justice involves fair distribution of study burdens and benefits.

  • What were the damaging effects of the Monster Study conducted by Wendell Johnson and Mary Tudor?

    The Monster Study involved giving positive and negative feedback on speech disorders to children from an orphanage, leading to damaging effects on their self-esteem. This unethical study highlighted the importance of ethical considerations in research to prevent harm to participants.

  • What did the Milgram Experiment by Stanley Milgram reveal about human behavior?

    The Milgram Experiment revealed that people tend to obey authority figures even in morally questionable situations. This study showed that 65% of subjects were willing to administer maximum voltage shocks to a learner, emphasizing the influence of authority on behavior.

  • What did the Bystander Effect demonstrated by John Darley and Bibb Latané reveal about human behavior in emergencies?

    The Bystander Effect showed that individuals are less likely to intervene in a crisis when others are present. This study highlighted the importance of understanding human behavior in emergencies and the impact of social influence on decision-making.

  • What was the significance of the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by Philip Zimbardo?

    The Stanford Prison Experiment simulated a prison environment and demonstrated the rapid deterioration of behavior and abuse by guards towards prisoners. This study showcased the powerful impact of assigned roles on behavior and underscored the necessity of ethical standards in research to prevent harm to participants.

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Summary

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Ethical Principles in Human Research Studies

  • The Belmont Report, established in the 1970s, outlines three key ethical principles for human research: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.
  • Respect for persons requires informed consent from subjects participating in research, ensuring they understand the risks and benefits involved.
  • Beneficence dictates that researchers should avoid causing harm to the wellbeing of participants in their studies.
  • Justice involves ensuring fair distribution of study burdens and benefits among subjects, preventing exploitation.
  • Early psychology experiments, like John Watson's classical conditioning study on a 9-month-old baby named Albert, often lacked ethical considerations and proper controls.
  • The Monster Study conducted by Wendell Johnson and Mary Tudor on children from an orphanage involved giving positive and negative feedback on speech disorders, leading to damaging effects on self-esteem.
  • The Milgram Experiment, conducted by Stanley Milgram, revealed that people obey authority figures even in morally questionable situations, with 65% of subjects administering maximum voltage shocks to a learner.
  • The Bystander Effect, demonstrated by John Darley and Bibb Latané, showed that individuals are less likely to intervene in a crisis when others are present, highlighting the importance of understanding human behavior in emergencies.
  • The Stanford Prison Experiment by Philip Zimbardo simulated a prison environment, resulting in rapid deterioration and abuse by guards towards prisoners, showcasing the impact of assigned roles on behavior and the necessity of ethical standards in research.
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