Contestants of Reality TV Shows Are Often Asked to Engage

Essay

Contestants of reality TV shows are often asked to engage in unpleasant behaviors (such as eating bugs on Fear Factor or being stranded in a foreign country on The Amazing Race). While viewers think they are learning about human nature, these "experiments" are not real psychological studies that employ the scientific method and ethical guidelines as put forth by the American Psychological Association. Describe why these TV shows do not meet the ethical guidelines that psychological research must follow.