PSYC1000 General Psychology: Research and Ethics

Flashcards on psychological research methods, experimenter expectancy effects, and research ethics based on PSYC1000 lecture notes.

Who is pictured with the horse 'Hans' in historical studies of experimenter expectancy effects?

Wilhelm Von Osten.

What did Pfungst discover regarding the conditions under which Clever Hans could accurately give the correct answer?

The horse got the right answer only when the questioner knew what the answer was and the horse could see the questioner.

What accuracy rates did Clever Hans achieve when the questioner knew the answer versus when they did not?

Clever Hans was $89\%$ correct when the questioner knew the answer, compared to $6\%$ correct when the questioner did not.

How did the questioner unintentionally signal the correct answer to Clever Hans?

As taps got nearer to the right number, the questioner's tension increased (posture leaning forward, facial muscles tightening). When the correct number was tapped, tension was released (relaxing, smiling, or showing relief).

What are experimenter expectancy effects?

The effects produced when an experimenter's expectations about the results of an experiment affect their behavior toward a participant and influence the participants' responses.

What three methods are specified to avoid experimenter bias in research?

Double-blind design, standardized instructions, and automated measures.

How does a double-blind design help avoid experimenter bias?

Neither the participants nor the experimenters know the answer or experimental condition.

What historical events led to the creation of the Nuremberg Code for ethical research?

Nazi experimentation on prisoners in concentration camps during WWII, leading to ethical standards developed during the Nuremberg trials.

How is informed consent defined under the Nuremberg Code?

Voluntary, well-informed, and understanding consent of the human subject.

In research ethics, what is assent?

Informed consent obtained when people themselves cannot give consent.

What took place during the Tuskegee Experiments (1932-1972)?

Run by federal researchers and Tuskegee University, 399 Black men with syphilis were promised free medical care but were given no actual treatment and were instead observed as the disease progressed.

What are the three stages of syphilis infection outlined in the lecture diagram?

Stage 1 (3-90 days after exposure: Sore), Stage 2 (4-10 weeks after initial infection: Body rash), and Stage 3 (3-15 years after initial infection: Affects internal organs).

Which 1971 study is depicted in this photograph involving mock guards and prisoners?

The Stanford Prison Experiment (1971).

Why was the Stanford Prison Experiment stopped in less than a week?

Guards enforced cruel systems of rewards and punishments (including forced exercise and sexual humiliation), causing some guards to become tyrannical and prisoners to become depressed and disoriented.

Which legislative act established Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in 1974?

The National Research Act of 1974.

What is the role of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

An independent ethics committee that oversees the protection of human subjects and must approve all research involving human subjects (except when using existing/public data).

What is the primary purpose of debriefing participants following a study?

To explain the full purpose of the study and any deception, remove misconceptions and anxieties, and leave participants with a sense of dignity, knowledge, and a perception of time not wasted.