Ethics in Psychology (New)

Goal:

Students will used what they have learned about the ethical principles in psychology, by designing their own psychological experiment, ensuring it adheres to ethical guidelines.

Start with a Brief Overview:
Explain the five key ethical principles in psychology:

• 1. Informed Consent

  2. Confidentiality

  3. Right to Withdraw

  4. Protection from Harm

  5. Debriefing

• Show examples of famous unethical experiments (e.g., the Stanford Prison Experiment, Milgram’s Obedience Study). Highlight what went wrong and how modern ethical guidelines prevent these issues.

Group Activity 

1. Divide the Class into Small Groups (3-4 students):
   Each group will act as a team of psychologists tasked with creating a simple psychological experiment.

2. Provide Each Group with a Scenario or Question:
   Examples:

Does practising mindfulness improve test performance?

• For example, do students who meditate for 5 minutes before a test perform better?

Are people more likely to remember images or words?

• For example, do participants recall pictures better than written information?

Does multitasking affect performance?

• For example, do people solve puzzles more slowly while listening to a podcast?

Does the presence of an authority figure affect behaviour?

• For example, are participants more likely to follow rules if an instructor is watching?

Do people feel happier after spending time outdoors?

• For example, does a 10-minute walk improve participants’ mood compared to sitting inside?

Does lack of sleep impact reaction time?

• For example, do participants who slept fewer than 5 hours react slower in a test?

Does handwriting notes improve memory compared to typing?

• For example, do students recall more information when they write notes by hand?

Are people more likely to follow a crowd?

• For example, do participants give the same answers as others, even if they are wrong?

Does social media use affect self-esteem?

• For example, do participants feel better or worse about themselves after using Instagram?

Do rewards increase productivity?

• For example, do participants complete tasks faster when they are offered a reward?

Does stress improve memory?

To test this, would it be ethical to induce stress in participants (e.g., telling them they’re being graded or giving them a tight time limit)?

Are people more likely to obey harmful instructions from an authority figure?

Similar to Milgram’s study, how far should researchers go in testing obedience? If participants believe they’re harming someone (even if they aren’t), is it ethical?

Does social exclusion affect self-esteem?

If you create a situation where some participants are deliberately excluded (e.g., in a group game), is it ethical to cause distress for research?

Does telling a lie affect a person’s stress levels?
If participants are asked to lie and then their heart rate is measured, is it ethical to deceive them for research?

Do people behave more honestly when they think they’re being watched?
If you tell participants a security camera is on (when it isn’t), is it ethical to manipulate their behaviour like this?

Does the time of day affect problem-solving ability?

• For example, are participants better at solving puzzles in the morning or evening?
  
  

3. Design the Experiment:
   Each group must plan their experiment by outlining:

   • Hypothesis: What are they trying to test?

   • Participants: Who will be involved?

   • Procedure: What will the participants do?

   • Ethical Considerations: How will they ensure the experiment is ethical?

4. Provide a worksheet (see below) with prompts for each section.

Step 3: Ethical Review Panel 

1. Groups Present Their Experiments:
   Each group presents their experiment to the class or an "Ethics Review Panel" (you and/or selected students).

2. Class Discussion:
   After each presentation, the class discusses whether the experiment meets ethical guidelines.

   • Does it protect participants from harm?

   • Is there informed consent?

   • Are participants allowed to withdraw?

3. Feedback:
   Provide feedback on how to improve the experiment to make it fully ethical.

Reflection

• Students individually reflect on:

  1. Why ethical guidelines are essential in psychology.

  2. How the guidelines would apply in real-world settings.

  3. What challenges psychologists face when balancing research goals and ethical considerations.

Optional Extension:

• Assign a creative writing task where students imagine they are participants in an unethical experiment. How would they feel? What rights do they wish they had?