Write a 5–7-page assessment in which you examine the controversy related to research and ethics in the field of social psychology.
It is essential to be able to critically analyze the research methods used in studies, in order to weigh the validity of the conclusions or recommendations.
Suggested Resources
The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.
FMG VIDEO
Click the following link to view a video purchased through Films Media Group for use in this Capella course. Any distribution of video content or associated links is prohibited.
- Pressure to Conform | Transcript
LIBRARY RESOURCES
The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course. Note: Some of the articles listed are fairly old and are included here because they are considered seminal works in the field.
- Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63(3), 575–582.
- Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1963). Imitation of film-mediated aggressive models. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 66(1), 3–11.
- Becker-Blease, K. A., & Freyd, J. J. (2006). Research participants telling the truth about their lives: The ethics of asking and not asking about abuse. American Psychologist, 61(3), 218–226.
- Benham, B. (2008). The ubiquity of deception and the ethics of deceptive research. Bioethics, 22(3), 147–156.
- Boynton, M. H., Portnoy, D. B., & Johnson, B. T. (2013). Exploring the ethics and psychological impact of deception in psychological research. IRB: Ethics & Human Research, 35(2), 7–13.Crano, W. D. (2000). Milestones in the psychological analysis of social influence. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 4(1), 68–80.
- Buckle, J. L., Dwyer, S. C., & Jackson, M. (2010). Qualitative bereavement research: Incongruity between the perspectives of participants and research ethics boards. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 13(2), 111–125.
- Guadagno, R. E., Muscanell, N. L., Rice, L. M., & Roberts, N. (2013). Social influence online: The impact of social validation and likability on compliance. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 2(1), 51–60.
- Haney, C., & Zimbardo, P. (1998). The past and future of U.S. prison policy: Twenty-five years after the Stanford Prison Experiment. American Psychologist, 53(7), 709–727.
- Heerdink, M. W., van Kleef, G. A., Homan, A. C., & Fischer, A. H. (2013). On the social influence of emotions in groups: Interpersonal effects of anger and happiness on conformity versus deviance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105(2), 262–284.
- Horcajo, J., Petty, R. E., & Briñol, P. (2010). The effects of majority versus minority source status on persuasion: A self-validation analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99(3), 498–512.
- Juritzen, T. I., Grimen, H., & Heggen, K. (2011). Protecting vulnerable research participants: A Foucault-inspired analysis of ethics committees. Nursing Ethics, 18(5), 640–650.
- McDonald, K. E., Kidney, C. A., & Patka, M. (2013). “You need to let your voice be heard”: Research participants’ views on research. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 57(3), 216–225.
- Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(4), 371–378.
- Milgram, S. (1964). Group pressure and action against a person. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 69(2), 137–143.
- Milgram, S. (1965). Liberating effects of group pressure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1(2), 127–134.
- Pascual-Leone, A., Singh, T., & Scoboria, A. (2010). Using deception ethically: Practical research guidelines for researchers and reviewers. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 51(4), 241–248.
- Zimbardo, P. G. (1974). On ‘obedience to authority‘. American Psychologist, 29(7), 566–567.
- Voisin, D., & Fointiat, V. (2013). Reduction in cognitive dissonance according to normative standards in the induced compliance paradigm. Social Psychology, 44(3), 191–195.
- Wilson, C. M., & Christensen, B. K. (2012). Ethical issues relevant to the assessment of suicide risk in nonclinical research settings. Crisis, 33(1), 54–59.
Assessment Instructions
To prepare for this assessment, locate scholarly articles on Milgram’s studies on obedience to authority and Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment on the power of social roles. These two pivotal studies provide the basis for this assessment.
Examine the controversy related to research and ethics in the field of social psychology. Consider the information you located on Milgram’s studies on obedience to authority and Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment on the power of social roles. Include the following in your assessment:
- Describe what these studies revealed about conformity and obedience to authority.
- Explain the benefits from these research studies. What knowledge or insight was gained?
- Describe the impact of the studies in terms of the effects on the human participants.
- Explain how these (and other) controversial research studies have shaped the principles and standards in the current APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Ethics.
- Develop evidence-based arguments both for and against these types of controversial research studies.
- Do you think that the information that was obtained was worth the risks to the human subjects? Explain and support your position.
