Question

Students sign up to be subjects in a psychology experiment. When they arrive, they are told that interviews are running late and are taken to a waiting room. The experimenters then stage the theft of a valuable object left in the waiting room. Some subjects are alone with the thief, and others are present in pairs—these are the treatments being compared. Will the subject report the theft?

a. The students had agreed to take part in an unspecified study, and the true nature of the experiment is explained to them afterward. Does this meet the requirement of informed consent? Explain your answer.

b. What two other ethical principles should be followed in this study?

Short answer

a. No, this doesn't meet the requirement of informed consent.

b. The two other ethical principles that should be followed in the study are confidentiality and review board.

Step-by-step solution

Part (a) step 1: Given Information

We need to explain does this meet the requirement of informed consent.

Part (a) step 2: Explanation

No, because informed consent means that subjects are informed before the experiment and in this experiment, they are informed afterward.

Part (b) step 1: Given Information

We need to find two other ethical principles that should be followed in the study.

Part (b) step 2: Explanation

Confidentiality is needed for each individual.

A review board should have reviewed the experiment before it will be implemented.