Practise Edexcel Psychology questions applying BPS ethics and risk management, including consent, protection from harm, withdrawal and researcher safety.
Milgram (1963) conducted research into obedience using a laboratory experiment. His original study was conducted at Yale University with male participants recruited using an advert in a local newspaper.
Explain three ethical issues with Milgram's original study.
AO1 (3 marks), AO3 (3 marks)
Credit one mark for accurate identification of each ethical issue
(AO1)
Credit one mark for justification of each ethical issue (AO3)
For example:
• The right to withdraw was explicitly given to the
participants at the start of study (1) but by using verbal
prods it made it very difficult to actually withdraw during
the experiment itself so it was unethical (1).
• Informed consent was not obtained as they were told the
experiment was about learning not obedience (1)
therefore participants were not aware of aims of study
which was unethical but necessary to reduce demand
characteristics and gather more reliable obedience data
(1).
• Milgram caused severe distress to a number of the
participants during the experiment (1) however after
debriefing the participants were glad to have been
involved despite the unethical levels of distress the
experiment had caused them at the time, they felt it was
worthwhile (1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.
(6)