Ethics and Deception in Psychological Research Essay Example

Ethics and Deception in Psychological Research Paper When conducting research studies many code of ethics come into play. A researcher has an obligation to follow the code of ethics. Many ethical standards must be followed when dealing with research. When conducting research as well as gathering data there are several ways to do so. Depending on whom you ask some ways are considered ethical and appropriate and some are unethical and inappropriate. Using deception to obtain information is a debatable issue on whether it is ethical or unethical by obtaining data in such a manner. The following paper will define what ethics is along with, discussing the concept of risk/benefit ratio, describing exactly what deception in research is, as well as evaluating the impact deception in research has on psychological research. Deception occurs whenever participants are not completely informed of procedures and goals of the research. According to Wikipedia, ethics is a branch of philosophy which seeks to address questions about mortality, how moral values should be determined, how a moral outcome can be achieved in a specific situation, how moral capacity or a moral agency develops and what its nature is, and what moral values people actually abide by (Wikipedia). Ethics deals greatly with morals. What is considered to be morally wrong depends on the individual you are speaking with. Morals describe how individuals should act and the principles that reflect what is good for individuals. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethics and Deception in Psychological Research specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ethics and Deception in Psychological Research specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ethics and Deception in Psychological Research specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Another factor that is used to determine ethical standards is the risk/benefit ratio. The risk/benefit ratio is a subjective evaluation of the risk to a research participant relative to the benefit both individual and the society of the results of the proposed research. (Shaghnessy, Zechmeister, Zechmeister, 2009) The Institutional Review Boards (IRB) reviews all psychological research in order to protect the rights and welfare of the individuals participating in the research studies (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, Zechmeister, 2009). In order for research to be approved benefits must outweigh the risks. The IRB will not approve research where the risks outweigh the benefits. There are several potential risks that one may run across in psychological research and these risks need to be observed to find out whether or not it will harm the participants of the study. Each individual will not be the same, what may be a risk for one participant may not be a risk for the other participants. The types of injuries may vary from those that are physical, social, or mental (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, Zechmeister, 2009). No matter how small a risk may be, researchers should try to minimize the risks and protect each individual. When there happens to be a potential risk, researchers need to use informed consent procedures for all participants involved (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, Zechmeister, 2009). Informed consent is a legal condition whereby a person can be said to have given consent based upon a clear appreciation and understanding of the facts, implications and future consequences of an action. In order to give informed consent, the individual concerned must have adequate reasoning faculties and be in possession of all relevant facts at the time consent is given. Impairments to reasoning and judgment which would make it impossible for someone to give informed consent include such factors as severe mental retardation, severe mental illness, intoxication, severe sleep deprivation, Alzheimers disease, or being in a coma. (http://psychology. wikia. com/wiki/Informed_consent). Researchers are ethically obligated to describe the research procedures clearly, identify any potential risks that might influence individuals willingness to participate, and answer any questions participants have regarding the research (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, Zechmeister, 2009). There are several ways to gather data and information on a research or study. One way is to use deception or misrepresent oneself in research. In a classic study known as the Miligram Obedience Study of 1961, Stanley Miligram recruited 40men using a newspaper ad. In exchange for their participation, each person was paid $4. 50. Milgram developed an intimidating shock generator, with shock levels starting at 30 volts and increasing in 15-volt increments all the way up to 450 volts. The many switches were labeled with terms including slight shock, moderate shock and danger: severe shock. The final two switches were labeled simply with an ominous XXX. Each participant took the role of a teacher who would then deliver a shock to the student every time an incorrect answer was produced. While the participant believed that he was delivering real shocks to the student, the student was actually a confederate in the experiment who was simply pretending to be shocked. As the experiment progressed, the participant would hear the learner plead to be released or even complain about a heart condition. Once the 300-volt level had been reached, the learner banged on the wall and demanded to be released. Beyond this point, the learner became completely silent and refused to answer any more questions. The experimenter then instructed the participant to treat this silence as an incorrect response and deliver a further shock. ( http:// psychology. about. com/od/history of psychology/a/milligram. htm). Miligram wouldnt have come to the conclusions he did if he didnt misrepresent himself to the participants. If Miligram told the 40 men what he was doing the participants probably would not have cooperated with him. Deception and misrepresenting oneself for psychological research is very controversial and has a huge impact on research today. Deception has caused a great deal of harm to subjects all around the world, due to this informed consent has been put into place. The subjects are not aware of the real reasons of the study due to misrepresentation. When its all said and done, ethics is a big issue in conducting studies and research. Researchers are held accountable while conducting these studies and the have an obligation to follow the code of ethics during them. I personally feel that any type of deception should be labeled as unethical and should not be used. Furthermore, there are individuals that feel it is okay to use deception as long as it doesnt cause any harm to the individuals. Ethics is a large part of conducting research and every researcher needs to conduct himself in an ethical manner.

Advertising in Abercrombie Fitch

Advertising in Abercrombie Fitch Overview: Ad Description Appendix 1 shows a grey, white and black advert comprising of a plus-sized woman lying down on her right side. Her right arm is resting on the ground and folded to support her head. The woman has tilted her head to make her seem like she is looking forward and diagonally.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Advertising in Abercrombie Fitch specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More She has also let her short hair free to fall on her back. In terms of dressing, she has a grey T-shirt with the ‘Abercrombie Fitch’ text on her bust area and black fitting shorts, which reveal her thighs. In addition, she has body art on her right arm, upper left arm and just above her knees. The white text, â€Å"Attractive Fat† is placed just above the woman with the letter â€Å"F† partially hidden by the woman’s thighs. Although this is a denotative meaning of the advert, advertisements a re built around semiotics to help persuade consumers’ to purchase products while using the societal culture as leverage. Therefore, they have connotative meaning. With this in mind, this paper critically deconstructs the advert to reveal its connotative meaning. Obvious Message The obvious message or intent of the advert is trying to persuade plus-sized women in the western, liberal world into believing that Abercrombie Fitch brand of clothing is suitable for plus-sized women because the company’s clothes makes them feel attractive. The â€Å"Abercrombie Fitch† text on the woman’s bust area is a sign that the woman is modeling for the company’s clothes. In the fashion industry, manufacturing an image in advertisement seeks to persuade buyers to change their habits. Therefore, to reach to and persuade plus-sized women to accept Abercrombie Fitch clothes, the advert uses or ‘manufacturers’ a plus-sized woman who is a model of the targ eted population. This is in addition to dressing the woman in Abercrombie Fitch clothes that are seemingly attractive, liberating or ‘cool’ by societal standards to form an ideal plus-sized woman. More so, the ad creators focus on the target group insecurities to persuade them to purchase clothes. Ideally, the society does not consider plus-sized women as attractive. This makes them have low-self esteem and feel unattractive. The dress code of the woman in the ad exhibits an attractive person full of confidence. Markedly, although plus-sized, she is not afraid to wear clothes that show off her body, including her thighs and arms. In addition, her non-verbal codes show confidence. She is resting comfortably on the ground with her chin up. This makes plus-sized women believe that with Abercrombie Fitch clothes, they can deal with their weaknesses, feel attractive and confident. Convincingly, with the phrase â€Å"attractive Fat† written in white color to symboli ze a new beginning, Abercrombie Fitch is making a statement that their clothes will change the plus-sized women’s lives by helping them deal with their weaknesses.Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hidden Message Critics argue that adverts create false expectations and so is the revelation of the hidden meaning of this advert. Although the advert seems to inform or insinuate to the plus-sized women that Abercrombie Fitch clothes will help them deal with their weaknesses, the hidden meaning reveals otherwise. The hidden meaning is that the clothes that Abercrombie Fitch Company is selling cannot make plus-sized women become confident, attractive or improve on their self-esteem. This is because these three traits come through being intelligent, practical and mature enough to discern societal expectations. In simple terms, the three traits are nurtured from within by controlling external influences and knowing what one stands for. This ensures that a person, whether plus-sized or not is confident and has a high self-esteem. These two traits make a person feel attractive. The hidden message is derived from the color code, particularly the permissive grey color. In the western world and most societies, grey symbolizes intelligence. Being emotionless and motionless, grey is stable and solid with a sense of composure and calm that offers relief from the chaotic world. Grey is conservative and elegant, but not glamorous. Grey is practical, a color of responsibility and maturity due to its association with grey hair in old age. It never seeks attention, but stays toned down and safe. The extensive use of the grey color even on the woman’s skin creates an association between the color and the message that the ad passes across. This makes it easy to connect the symbolic meaning of the color to the actual message to reveal the hidden meaning of th e advert. Therefore, being intelligent, practical and staying toned down or controlling external influences helps plus-sized women to nurture a high self-esteem and confidence from within, not the Abercrombie Fitch clothes. Conclusion: Social and cultural relevance The connection between the obvious and hidden meaning and the ad is derived from the advertisement’s social and cultural relevance. The advert creators are torn between persuading the target audience to attain advertisement effects and informing them as expected by the societal culture. The society knows that advertisements evoke false expectations and creates unrealistic role models. Therefore, there is a belief that advertisements should seek to inform. To avoid compromising on the effect of the advertisement, the designers inform the target audience in a subtle or hidden way. This becomes a defense mechanism against societal expectations in case people start criticizing the advert. The advert presents a liberal western and plus-sized woman with the probable benefits derived from Abercrombie Fitch clothes. In addition, as the societal culture expects, it uses the grey color to inform that the attributes they seek are nurtured from within, not by the clothes they wear.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Advertising in Abercrombie Fitch specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Appendix 1