Deck 3: Ethics in Social Research

Question 1

How do power relations,deception,and coercion to participate in research conflict with the principle of voluntary consent?

Answer 1

-The principle of voluntary consent is an ethical principle of social research that states that people should never participate in research unless they first explicitly agree to do so.
-With regard to power relations,a professional researcher and the research participants or employee-assistants are in a relationship of unequal power and trust.An experimenter,survey director,or research investigator has power over participants and assistants,and,in turn,they trust his/her judgment and authority.The researcher's credentials,training,and professional role and the place of science in modern society legitimate the power and make it into a form of expert authority.Some ethical issues involve an abuse of power and trust.A researcher's authority to conduct social research and to earn the trust of others is always accompanied by an immutable ethical responsibility to guide,protect,and oversee the interests of the people being studied.
-Social researchers sometimes deceive or lie to participants in field and experimental research.A researcher might misrepresent his/her actions or true intentions for legitimate methodological reasons.For example,if participants knew the true purpose,they would modify their behaviour,making it impossible to learn their real behaviour.Another situation occurs when access to a research site would be impossible if the researcher told the truth.Deception is never preferable if the researcher can accomplish the same thing without using deception.
-The use of coercion to participate in a study can be a tricky issue,and it depends on the specifics of the situation.Today it is unlikely that individuals will be coerced; however,there are still cases where people may be implicitly coerced.For example,undergraduate students who are asked to participate in research in classes may feel obligated to participate because they want a good grade.

Question 2

What is the general ethical principle regarding deception in social research?

A) It is fully acceptable and does not involve ethical issues.
B) It is forbidden under all circumstances of ethical research.
C) It can be ethically used if essential to the research so long as subjects are not physically harmed.
D) It can be ethically used if essential to the research, but only to the minimal degree necessary and it must be followed by debriefing.
E) Deception can only be ethically used when subjects are "captive" populations (e.g., prisoners, students, mental hospital patients, military personnel).

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Why are some groups of people called "special populations" in social research? What things must a researcher do differently when studying them?

Answer 3

-Some populations or groups of research participants are not capable of giving true,voluntary informed consent.
-Special populations are people who lack the necessary cognitive competency to give valid informed consent or people in a weak position who might cast aside their freedom to refuse in order to participate in a study.
-Students,prison inmates,employees,military personnel,the homeless,welfare recipients,children,or the developmentally disabled may not be fully capable of making a decision,or they may agree to participate only because they see their participation as a means of obtaining a desired good-such as higher grades,early parole,promotions,or additional services.
-It is unethical to involve "incompetent" people (e.g.,children,the mentally challenged)in research unless a researcher meets two minimal conditions: (1)a legal guardian grants written permission,and (2)the researcher follows all standard ethical principles to protect the participant from harm.

Question 4

In what ways do political pressures affect the conduct of social research? What are the three main causes of attempts to block or steer social research?

Question 5

A great deal of learning about ethics is based on "famous cases." Which study is the "famous case" in which poor black men were not treated and allowed to become disabled and permanently harmed in a Public Health Service study by the U.S.federal government?

A) Tearoom Trade
B) Jury Study
C) Milgram Obedience Experiment
D) Zimbardo Prison Experiment
E) Bad Blood

Question 6

Identify and define two forms of scientific misconduct and provide an example of each.

Question 7

What is informed consent? Why was it developed? How does it protect research subjects?

Question 8

Describe what a whistle-blower is in social research settings,and what pressures a whistle-blower might feel to keep quiet or go public.

Question 9

How might a sponsor attempt to illegitimately influence a researcher? What can the researcher do about it and why might a researcher hesitate about being ethical?

Question 10

Professor Ivan Ishtar copied five pages from a student paper that was not protected by copyright laws and put it in an article he published but failed to give credit to the student.He also claimed to interview 10 people who he never interviewed.Professor Ishtar committed all the following activities EXCEPT which one?

A) Plagiarism
B) Research fraud
C) Scientific misconduct
D) Unethical but legal behaviour
E) Illegal but ethical behaviour

Question 11

Identify three major cases in the history of research ethics and describe the basic principles of ethical research they illustrate.

Question 12

Describe the difference between anonymity and confidentiality.

Question 13

Chad Hunt is a graduate student who studies the ways people use social assistance.Chad grew up hearing news reports and dinner table conversations about how welfare recipients are typically lazy people who abuse the system even though they can and should work.The data Chad collects indicates that the majority of people on social assistance are hard-working persons who have been displaced by economic restructuring.Chad believes his data does not accurately depict the truth of the matter,so he falsifies documents to make it appear as though abuse of social assistance is common.What offence has Chad committed?

A) Research fraud
B) Data reconfiguration
C) Plagiarism
D) Breaking confidentiality
E) Breaking anonymity

Question 14

If a researcher conducting a survey gets "informed consent," she will

A) get an ok from funding agencies to experiment with controlled substances.
B) get permission to interview friends and family members about personal behaviour (such as sexual relations).
C) get permission to conduct the interview with the respondent after telling the respondent something about the interview.
D) get permission from other researchers to use non-random sampling.
E) get permission from people to use their actual names and addresses in published studies about them.

Question 15

For an honours undergraduate project,Steven Smith conducts a survey on students' beliefs and behaviours,including sexual behaviour.While distributing the questionnaire,he assures the group of students that no one will be able to trace responses to an individual.He notices where each person sat before he or she returns the questionnaire to the front of the room and memorizes who turned in the first,second,etc.,questionnaire.Which ethical principle is Steven violating?

A) Confidentiality
B) Anonymity
C) Harm to subjects
D) Concealed identity of researcher
E) Voluntary participation

Question 16

The original source for the principles of codes of ethics for research on human subjects was developed out of

A) the Amnesty International Code of 1975.
B) the Nuremburg Trial of Nazi war crimes in 1946-47.
C) the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
D) the League of Nations Charter of 1919.
E) the Constitution of the United States.

Question 17

A researcher asks some teenagers to shoplift from a drugstore while he observes so he can learn more about how they do it.This researcher may be violating the ethical principle that says

A) do not cause physical harm.
B) avoid causing psychological abuse or stress.
C) do not create new inequalities.
D) do not place subjects in legal jeopardy.
E) none of the above; it is not unethical.

Question 18

It is NOT ethical for a sponsor to do which of the following?

A) A school district wants a study of students, but demands that a researcher report findings showing an improvement in student scores during the past five years.
B) A supervisor requires prior review of questionnaire items to make some of them "leading" to make certain that the company looks good.
C) A government agency that paid for a study suppresses findings that indicate that it has not enforced a law it is supposed to and has been an overall failure.
D) A political party calls people for telephone interviews on opinions, but is really identifying potential financial contributors. It hides the true sponsor of a study by using a made-up name of a research company.
E) All of the above.

Question 19

The principle of voluntary consent in social research means

A) a professor who hands out a questionnaire to students should inform students that their participation is voluntary and that they can refuse to participate without penalty.
B) many research findings actually have limited generalizability to those subjects/respondents who agree to participate in research.
C) this norm is violated in covert field research.
D) a researcher using deception should tell subjects that they can leave at any time.
E) all of the above.

Question 20

What are the three types of harm a researcher must be aware of when conducting a study? What steps can researchers take to mitigate the potential impact of these three types of harm?

Question 21

Dr.George Clemmons studies the nature of friendship bonds between children under the age of 8 years old.Since children are a vulnerable population,George must take extra precautions to ensure his research meets ethical standards.Which of the following conditions must George meet in order to avoid unethical research conduct?

A) George must obtain written permission from the legal guardian(s) of the children he plans to study.
B) George must ensure he is never alone with the children he is studying.
C) George must follow standard ethical principles to protect his child participants from harm.
D) Both A and C.
E) Both B and C.

Question 22

principle of voluntary consent

Question 23

informed consent

Question 24

What is ethical behaviour regarding the use of deception in social research?

A) Deception is always forbidden; it should never be used under any conditions whatsoever.
B) Deception can be used anytime a researcher feels he or she can learn more by using it, so long as the subjects have given their "informed consent."
C) Deception can be used anytime a researcher feels he or she would learn more by using it, but only if the researcher afterward "debriefs" the subjects, telling them about the deception.
D) Deception can only be used if it is necessary for a specific research purpose, only to the minimal degree required for that purpose, and subjects should give informed consent before participating and be debriefed immediately afterward.
E) Deception can only be used when one is working with "special populations," during which time debriefing is optional.

Question 25

anonymity

Question 26

Henrietta Handlesworth got a job working at Zone Research Company.After working there for two years,she was asked to conduct a survey of customers who bought Zone Motor Corporation cars in the past two years to see how satisfied they were.Her supervisor told her not to bother sending questionnaires to people who bought a car from Zone Motor Corp.but since sold it.Henrietta thought this was wrong but wanted to keep her supervisor happy so that she could get a promotion.What ethical problem did Henrietta encounter?

A) Concealing the true sponsor
B) Suppressing findings
C) Arriving at particular findings
D) Limits on how to conduct a study
E) No ethical problem

Question 27

Identify the FALSE statement about ethics in social research.

A) The individual researcher is ultimately responsible for acting in an ethical manner and protecting research subjects.
B) A researcher who lacks strong professional socialization, who is isolated from other researchers, and who is under great pressure to cut corners to produce research findings is in greater danger of doing something unethical.
C) Unethical researchers, if caught, have disgraced themselves before their peers. They may lose their jobs and never get another professional job. All their past research may be suspect.
D) It is usually more costly and time consuming to behave ethically, but there is no praise for ethical research. It is simply expected.
E) All unethical behaviour is also illegal because codes of ethics have the force of law.

Question 28

Why is there a special concern with anonymity and confidentiality when a researcher studies "captive" populations like prisoners?

A) Gatekeepers, or those in positions of authority, may restrict access unless they receive information on subjects.
B) Pseudonyms or false names cannot be used for prisoners.
C) Researchers are legally obligated to tell the police about what they have learned from the subjects.
D) All of the above are reasons for special concern.
E) None of the above are reasons for special concern.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT one of the groups identified by the Tri-Council Policy Statement as "special populations"?

A) Persons with limited mental capacity
B) Persons with familial and professional ties to the researcher
C) Persons in subservient power positions in a potential research study
D) Persons belonging to groups with a history of expression and exploitation
E) None of the above

Question 30

plagiarism

Question 31

Professor Bernard Bellyache said,"Before I go any further,I have to run this research design past the REB." What does this mean?

A) Professor Bellyache needs to get money to conduct the research project and must go to the Internal Revenue Board to get it.
B) Professor Bellyache needs to get an ok from a local committee who checks for ethical concerns in research dealing with people.
C) Professor Bellyache does not have academic freedom and must get permission to do anything.
D) Professor Bellyache has to go to Ottawa to talk with the national lobbying organization for social science researchers.
E) Professor Bellyache is conducting a research project like the "Bad Blood" study, so he must let health officials know he won't contaminate anyone.

Question 32

What ethical issue was NOT raised by the famous "Tearoom Trade" study by Laud Humphries on homosexuals?

A) Covert observation without informed consent
B) Protecting the research subjects from legal jeopardy
C) Protecting the privacy of respondents and confidentiality of data
D) The use of deception or lying to subjects
E) All of the above were involved.

Question 33

The Dr.Nancy Olivieri case demonstrates

A) that speaking out against research that is funded by large and powerful companies can have a great personal cost, even if it is done to uphold ethical principles.
B) that speaking out against research that is funded by large and powerful companies can be rewarded by the scientific community.
C) that a researcher should remain loyal to the sponsoring organization.
D) that a researcher should exit the situation immediately.
E) none of the above.

Question 34

The Russell Ogden case is an illustration of a social researcher's obligation to uphold which ethical principle?

A) Do no harm to participants
B) Conflict of interest
C) Informed consent
D) Confidentiality
E) Do not exploit participants for personal gain

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT one of the best forms of preparation suggested by your text?

A) Adopt a serious professional role
B) Do not accept assistance from funding agencies
C) Internalize a sensitivity to ethical concerns
D) Interact regularly with other researchers
E) None of the above

Question 36

What is the purpose of informed consent?

A) It means that information a researcher gets from a subject may be used in any way by the researcher, even against the desires, beliefs, or wishes of the research subject.
B) It documents that a researcher has followed the principle of voluntary participation.
C) It gives permission from the government to study certain "taboo" topics.
D) It protects researchers and teachers from outside interference when they debate ideas, investigate issues, or discuss findings.
E) It gives a researcher the right to see government documents.

Question 37

Which of the following terms is used to describe situations where communities develop skepticism towards research after having been "researched to death" without sharing in any of the benefits of the research?

A) Research victimization
B) Knowledge exploitation
C) Parasitic research
D) Research fatigue
E) Research exhaustion

Question 38

The use of coercion to secure participants for a research project can be a tricky issue.In which of the following scenarios is the coercion used to secure research participants considered ethical?

A) Megan, a Canadian undergraduate student, volunteered for a study in which she was asked to look at disturbing pictures and report her emotional responses because her professor made research participation a requirement of the course she was completing.
B) Chris, a prisoner at Warkworth Institution, complied with a request to be interviewed about his experience of prison violence because he was worried he would receive worse treatment from the guards if he refused to comply.
C) Brandon, a 14-year-old high school student, agreed to complete a survey on his beliefs and behaviour pertaining to drug use because the researcher was his English teacher's wife and he worried refusing to participate would upset his teacher.
D) Brent, a graduate student at a competitive university, witnessed a group of children shoplifting at the mall. Brent told the children he would turn them in and inform their parents of the shoplifting unless thy agreed to participate in his study on peer pressure.
E) Dr. Benton, an esteemed criminologist, responds to distress calls with police officers to interview persons who have been victimized. Knowing female victims of spousal abuse might be reticent to talk to her out of loyalty to their partners, Dr. Benton secretly tells the victims their husbands will not be charged if they cooperate with her.

Question 39

confidentiality

Question 40

Which of the following sets the standards for professional ethics codes within North American sociology?

A) CSA & SSHRC
B) CIHR & BSA
C) NSERC & CSA
D) ASA & BSC
E) ASA & CSA

Question 41

scientific misconduct

Question 42

physical harm

Question 43

psychological harm

Question 44

research fraud

Question 45

special populations

Question 46

high-risk populations

Question 47

whistle-blower

Question 48

privacy

Question 49

ethics

Question 50

unnecessary stress

Question 51

Tri-Council Policy Statement on the Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans

Question 52

legal harm

Question 53

research fatigue