experimenters tried to manage favorable impressions。 Have two student observers code the
researchers’ behavior and the confirmatory or disconfirmatory questions of the mittee。
8。 Discuss the issue of living in an “experimenting society；” in which we assume that adequate
research will be conducted before new drugs are put on the market or we are exposed to certain
products。 Somewhere in that process； humans or animals were subjects in that research related to
pain； disease； stress； and other noxious experiences。
9。 Raise the problems with “debriefing” subjects after an allowable deception has been conducted in
an experiment。 Can people really be returned to the condition they were in before experiencing an
experimental treatment； given that it was intense enough to influence their behavior？
10。 Consider the public’s positive reaction to “Candid Camera” deception episodes。 What does that
say about us？
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Baumrind； D。 （1964）。 Some thoughts on ethical issues in psychology。 American Psychologist； 19； 421…423。
Kom J。 H。 （1984）。 Coverage of research ethics in introductory and social psychology tests。 Teaching of
Psychology； 11； 146…149。
Steininger； M。； Newell； J。 D。； & Garcia； L。 （1984）。 Ethical issues in psychology。 Homewood； IL： Dorsey Press。
Zimbardo； P。 G。 （1973）。 On the ethics of intervention in human psychological research： With special
reference to the Stanford prison experiment。 Cognition； 2； 243…256。
One survey of IRB actions presents the following data； which the class might find useful。 The data are
for all types of institutions—universities； medical school； hospitals and others （2389 were surveyed）。
IRB Actions Percent
Board modified 33
Modified after an informal discussion with IRB members 7
More information requested 10
No change 44
No data available 6
Total： 100
Here is a description of the infamous U。S。 Public Health Service study of syphilis； in which the control
group received a placebo—and most died。 It supports arguments for strong IRBs。
The study was started in 1932 by the service’s venereal disease section。 It involved 625 black men； mostly
poor and uneducated； from the county surrounding Tuskegee； Alabama； which then had the highest
syphilis rate in the nation。 Two hundred of the men did not have syphilis and served as a control group for
parison purposes； 425 had latent （and therefore nonmunicable） syphilis and received little if any
treatment for it。 As an incentive to participate in the study； they were offered free treatment for any other
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illnesses； free hot lunches； and free burial after autopsies were performed。
At the time the test began； treatment for syphilis was uncertain at best and involved a lifelong series of risky
injections of such toxic substances as bismuth； arsenic； and mercury。 However； in the years following
World War II； the PHS’s test became a matter of medical morality。 Penicillin had been found almost totally
effective against syphilis； and by war’s end it had bee generally available。 Nevertheless； the PHS did
not use the drug on those participating in the study unless the patient asked for it。
Recent reviews of 125 cases by the PHS’s Center for Disease Control in Atlanta found that half had
syphilitic heart valve damage。 Twenty…eight had died of cardiovascular or central nervous system problems
that were plications of syphilis。
The study’s findings on the effects of untreated syphilis have been reported periodically in medical journals
for years。 It was not until 1972； however； that an Associated Press correspondent noticed and reported that
the lack of treatment was intentional。 Senator William Proxmire of Wisconsin； a member of the
submittee that oversees PHS’s budget； called the study “a moral and ethical nightmare” and an
investigation soon followed。
The probe did not help much； for the damage had already been done。 The officials responsible for the study
have long since retired。 Present CDC officials agree that such a study could not be conducted today。
Unfortunately； their solicitude is small consolation for the 74 of the original 425 syphilitics still surviving。
The agency is treating them for whatever other diseases or physical problems they might have； but it can do
little for their syphilis。 The average age of the survivors is 74； and the massive penicillin therapy necessary
to arrest their long…ignored affliction could do more harm than good。
For them； the PHS reversal has e too late。 But the notoriety of this study has done much to raise the
consciousness of researchers and research service administrators and legislators。
PROPOSAL 1
Title： Resolution of Social Conflicts
Department：。 Social Anthropology
Proposal： Many groups face social conflicts that； without adequate means of resolution； erupt into group
hostility and destructive behavior。 On the basis of previous research by M。 Sherif； we believe that the critical
variable in the conflict resolution process is the availability of superordinate goals； that is； mon goals or
objectives that can be fulfilled only via cooperative rather than petitive strategies。
Subjects will be housed in an environment that is new to them （a summer camp） with others who are
strangers。 This is to control for extraneous influences and prior group formation。 The subjects will be
divided into two groups； each of which will be housed separately； and led by a team of adult supervisor…
observers。 There will be four phases to our study： （1） development of strong within…group cohesion and
solidarity in each of the two camp groups； （2） creation of the opportunity for conflict between the two
groups； （3） introduction of a mon problem （e。g。； breakdown in water supply to the camp） facing both
groups； and （4） observation of strategies of resolution。
The duration of each phase will be： Phase 1…five days； Phase 2…three days； Phrase 3…one day； Phase 4…five
days—a total of two weeks。
Trained observers will record all interactions that occur during meals； sports； recreation； and at other times。
Subjects： 60 lower…socioeconomic status children whose parents agree to send them to this experimental
summer camp for two weeks。 There will be no fees at all for transportation； food； tuition； etc。； in return for
the use of the children as subjects。 The children will not be informed of the experimental nature of the camp；
but parents will sign an informal consent form （submitted to this mittee separately）。 All parents will
receive a report of the study in which children’s identity will be confidential。 There will be adequate
medical and health supervision at all times during this study。
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Remarks： It is expected that we will learn some important principles to help in the design of environments to
promote cooperation and minimize petition。 Such “social engineering” may remove conflicts not only
in gangs but also between ethnic and racial groups and be of value even at the political…international level
（witness cooperation among oil…deprived nations）。
PROPOSAL 2
Title： Low…Pressure Determinants of pliance
Department： Psychology
Proposal： Research done in the mid…1960s by Freedman and Fraser demonstrated that pliance with a
small request greatly increased the probability of future pliance with a large request； even when the
large request was made two weeks after the small request。 The large request made in this research required
the subjects to allow their home property to be used in specific ways。 It was thus a request for acquiescence。
Our study will replicate the Freedman and Fraser investigation； except that the large request will call on
subjects to actively carry out a rather time…consuming task。
Subjects： The subjects will be householders in a suburban middle…class munity。 They will be contacted
in their homes； in person； and treated in one of three ways： （a） informed about a new effort to persuade the
city council to enact an ordinance prohibiting research and development of antipersonnel weapons in the
city limits （FAMILIARIZATION CONDITION）； （b） asked to sign a petition to the city council advocating
such an ordinance （SMALL REQUEST CONDITION）； （c） agree to sign a petition when approached to do so
later （AGREEMENT CONDITION）—Half the subjects in each of these three conditions will later be
approached and asked to invite their neighbors to a coffee meeting in their homes to generate support and
raise funds for this effort。 The other half will be approached and asked to hold a similar meeting to generate
support and raise funds for an effort to enact new pollution control ordinances。
The study therefore includes a control group that is merely contacted； a group that agrees to a small request；
and a group that actually carries out the small request。 Subjects from all three groups are then asked to carry
out major requests that are either related or unrelated to their previous experience。
Remarks： Events of the past few years have caused great concern among Americans about political
manipulation and mercial exploitation of the public。 In politics； “dirty tricks” has bee a household
phrase。 Advertising through the media is widely believed to influence consumer preferences。 We believe
that understanding of the subtle tactics political organizers and salespeople attempt to use can enable
private individuals to behave in a more independent fashion。 Our interest focuses on low…pressure
techniques precisely because many people are sensitized to high…pressure tactics and can presumably
defend themselves against those tactics to some extent。 Low…pressure tactics； on the other hand； may go
unrecognized by the target population and thus render them more susceptible to insidious influence
attempts。
PROPOSAL 3
Title： Obedience in Response to Authority
Department： Educational Psychology
Proposal： This study will replicate and extend research by Milgram and by Sheridan and King on the
conditions under which adults will administer painful or potentially lethal punishment to a victim in
obedience to the instructions of an authority figure。