ETHICS ESSAY
Asch’s conformity experiment displayed greater ethical standards than Elliott’s blue-eye, brown-eye case study. Ethics outlines the ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ in the conduction of a social experiment, implementing practices that all psychologists must follow (Smith 2003). As a result of the constant revision of ethics, outdated experiments are now seen as unethical with risks to a participant’s wellbeing, incorporating harm, deception, falsified consent and forced participation. Subsequently, unethical procedures were performed in both Asch’s conformity experiment and Elliot’s brown-eye, blue-eye case study while some may have been considered ethical at the time.
Scientific ethics defines the obligations and expectations of all scientists …show more content…
20). A list of requirements have been published to ensure all psychologists treat their clients ‘fairly’ to avoid harm that has been caused in previous studies. These principles were first visualised in the original Australian Code of Ethics produced in 1949, however, it didn’t serve as a legal obligation at the time, only recommendations for professionals (Allen 2011, p. 5). As a result, many historical experiments do not stand up to these expectations.
The case study; brown-eye, blue-eye, conducted by Jane Elliot, dealt with violations of all sections in the code of conduct, justifying its practices as unethical. The study was conducted in a classroom with an aim of educating the class and proving the ‘teaching of discrimination’. Autonomy was inexistent with no informed consent from the children’s parents, only the ‘asking’ of minors without fully disclosing the extent of the experiment and giving them no opportunity to withdraw, …show more content…
Both procedures gave evidence of ethical breaches when analysed under modern standards despite the minor infringements at the time of conduct. This demonstrates the change in ethical standards over the past six decades, consequently, participants now have greater rights to autonomy and protection in the modern world. Without the evolution of ethics, experiments in history wouldn’t have occurred, subsequently, psychologists wouldn’t be as knowledgeable
Asch’s conformity experiment displayed greater ethical standards than Elliott’s blue-eye, brown-eye case study. Ethics outlines the ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ in the conduction of a social experiment, implementing practices that all psychologists must follow (Smith 2003). As a result of the constant revision of ethics, outdated experiments are now seen as unethical with risks to a participant’s wellbeing, incorporating harm, deception, falsified consent and forced participation. Subsequently, unethical procedures were performed in both Asch’s conformity experiment and Elliot’s brown-eye, blue-eye case study while some may have been considered ethical at the time.
Scientific ethics defines the obligations and expectations of all scientists …show more content…
20). A list of requirements have been published to ensure all psychologists treat their clients ‘fairly’ to avoid harm that has been caused in previous studies. These principles were first visualised in the original Australian Code of Ethics produced in 1949, however, it didn’t serve as a legal obligation at the time, only recommendations for professionals (Allen 2011, p. 5). As a result, many historical experiments do not stand up to these expectations.
The case study; brown-eye, blue-eye, conducted by Jane Elliot, dealt with violations of all sections in the code of conduct, justifying its practices as unethical. The study was conducted in a classroom with an aim of educating the class and proving the ‘teaching of discrimination’. Autonomy was inexistent with no informed consent from the children’s parents, only the ‘asking’ of minors without fully disclosing the extent of the experiment and giving them no opportunity to withdraw, …show more content…
Both procedures gave evidence of ethical breaches when analysed under modern standards despite the minor infringements at the time of conduct. This demonstrates the change in ethical standards over the past six decades, consequently, participants now have greater rights to autonomy and protection in the modern world. Without the evolution of ethics, experiments in history wouldn’t have occurred, subsequently, psychologists wouldn’t be as knowledgeable