M2D2: Ethical Issues in the Social Sciences

Module 2

The social sciences (sociology, economics, political science and psychology) are disciplines from which we may view individuals and societies in a variety of contexts. Within these disciplines are people working on issues of social responsibility, justice, and fair, equitable treatment of everyone. Over the past decade, professional ethics in these disciplines has informed requirements for ethical treatment of research subjects during studies. Almost all professions now embrace, as a core element, precise codes of behavior towards, and treatment of people during research studies. In this discussion we will explore some social science research studies that are now considered unethical. Today’s better appreciation of both the rights of the individual and the responsibilities of the social scientist have helped to shape our understanding of the incidents you will read about in the discussion.For this discussion you are asked to research one of the following using the Excelsior Library (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.:

• The Facebook Experiment
• Stanford Prison Experiment
• Stanley Milgram’s “obedience to authority” study

Then, read: The Belmont Report (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.In your discussion post, please:

• Share the study you have chosen from the three studies listed.
• Apply Part B: Basic Ethical Principles from the Belmont Report to the study you selected.
• Describe the study design and tell how it did or did not meet each of these three expectations (1. Respect for Persons, 2. Beneficence, and 3. Justice).
• Redesign the study showing how this standard could be met and the study still be conducted today.

In order to succeed at this discussion you will need to locate at least two academic resources that discuss the idea of ethical behavior in the social sciences and support your initial response. (See the EC Library study guide for the Liberal Arts)

Evaluation Criteria

Always read the instructions (prompt) for the Discussion you are completing, as specifications for length, citations, number of responses, etc. may vary from the general guidelines below:

Your initial post should be at least 250 words and must substantively and originally respond to the discussion prompt, integrating the assigned readings from the module as specified, with proper APA (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. style formatting.

For assistance with APA style formatting, visit the Library (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. or the Excelsior OWL (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..