Ethics in Psychology Research Assignment

							                         ETHICS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
                                    WRITING ASSIGNMENT

       The history of psychological research is full of experiments on human behavior that
would be illegal if they were performed today. Three of the most well known controversial
psychological experiments are Stanley Milgram’s obedience study, Philip Zimbardo’s
Stanford prison study, and John Watson’s “Little Albert” study on conditioning. Despite all
the debate surrounding the questionable ethics of these experiments, each one provided a
valuable insight into human behavior. Your assignment is to investigate one of the famous
experiments listed above, and write a short essay on the ethics of human research in
psychology in order to answer this question:

Question: Do the benefits gained from these unethical experiments outweigh the dangers to
human health?

      The goal of this assignment is for you to think critically about the dangers of research
on human behavior, and to realize why it can often be very difficult to design experiments
that exhibit sound ethical principles. To help you write your paper, you must also consult
the following document, which can be found on the class website:

     Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Third Edition. Canadian
         Psychological Association. 2000.

Your essay must include the following components:

     An introduction, including a brief summary of the experiment, and your thesis
        statement.
          o Thesis: In one sentence at the end of your intro, you must state your position
              towards the main question.
       One paragraph outlining a minimum of three ways in which the experiment is in
        breach of the current code of ethics for Canadian psychologists.
       One paragraph that explains what the researchers were able to learn about human
        behavior.
       One paragraph detailing your personal opinion on whether or not this type of
        experiment should be permissible. Be sure to explain why you feel this way, using
        your research to support any statements you make.
       A short concluding paragraph that summarizes the main points in your essay, and
        re-states your thesis.

Please make sure that your essay adheres to the following criteria:

     12 pt font                                         minimum 500 words
     double-spaced
Due Date: Monday, September 26, 2011