1. The idea of human research has been highly controversial due to the idea of ethics. Some have started to find research inhumane, while others find that is is necessary not to overlook these select experiments.
2. The Milgram experiments may have broken the ethical standards and did not necessarily protect the welfare and integrity of the individuals mental and physical stability; however, the results should not be dismissed and still have impact on how we view the human mind today.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Interview: James Morris
Where did you attend school? What degree did you achieve there?
I attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois where I earned a BA in Psychology.
I also attended Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois where I earned a MA in Clinical Professional Psychology.
I am currently in the dissertation phase of my Doctoral studies in Counseling at Illinois Professional School of Psychology at Argosy Schaumburg.
What are some of the general cases or jobs you have worked?
I have worked in various settings and in varying capacities. I have worked as a program therapist in mental health facilities both in Illinois and in Louisiana. While in Louisiana I worked on acute adult inpatient units and worked with clients stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana. While in Illinois I have worked with children and adolescents in inpatient, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. I have worked as a trauma informed therapist and consultant in the Chicago Public School system and have also been a mental health consultant to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center.
From your knowledge with some of the cases you have conducted, how often has the idea of ethics been an issue in them?
Well, I am constantly considering the ethical implications of my decisions with clients given the populations I have worked with and settings I have worked in. An example would be my mental health and forensic work at the juvenile detention center. There is the occasional conflict between legislation, case law and the standards by which clinicians are held to in the profession. Even when there is clear compatibility between the legal and ethical standards, the vagueness of formal codes that often lead to subjective interpretation have me frequently seeking consultation (sigh). Strict adherence to the practice of simply avoiding the violation of legal standards may cause one to lose sight of the ethical responsibility and consequences of one’s decisions. In many cases the results of the deliberative process of ethical decision making can be the difference between life and death. It can be a challenging experience but it is necessary to protect clients the public and to sustain the field.
Today, during any human research, there are ethical boards that enforce their ethical standards*. How do you think past experiments, such as the Milgram experiments, results would have changed if they were conducted today?
*The ethical standards that I am referring to are the American Psychological Associations version, found at: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
Hmm, that’s a tough question. Given the reasons why most of those experiments would never get Institutional Review Board approval by today’s standard, it is difficult to determine how comparable the results be. Too many things to consider with replication. Some people believe that the results of the Milgram experiments were too harsh and should no longer be justified in today’s world of psychology. Even though these experiments did not follow today's ethical standards, can they still be used to justify human rationale?You know the issues with the experiment may have extended beyond ethics and I am certainly one that has my own criticisms. But we have the benefit of hindsight. Its iconic research that shouldn’t be totally dismissed. Its tricky.
Is there any penalty to breaking the APA Ethical Code?
Oh absolutely, if upon review a complaint of unethical behavior is founded penalties can range from verbal reprimands with recommendations up to a loss of your license.
Have you seen or heard of any experiments today that may have broken the APA Ethical Code that are still highly regarded and referenced to?
I cannot say that I have, but that is not to suggest that a more informed individual in this area may not be aware of such cases. I hope I understood what you were asking.
Is there anything else that you can think of that may pertain to this topic?
I was just having this ethics discussion with a few colleagues that have found themselves in the middle of a challenging ethical situation. As I shared with them, even the most well-intentioned and skilled clinician is not infallible, and as such, efforts should always be made to circumvent the mistakes that occasionally occur as the result of our limited perspective, wrong conclusions arrived at, and even the casual certainties about decisions that we develop over time in practice. Clinicians are constantly faced with ethical dilemmas that require an understanding of formal codes, case law and even relevant legislation as I mentioned earlier. However, as each client/client situation is unique, utilizing formal codes as a guide is essential, but decisions about ethical behavior are the result of a deliberate, thoughtful process. The ethical dilemmas that clinicians face do not always consist of clear and easy answers. The complexity lies in the occasional conflict between the ethical framework for the dilemma being addressed and the legal framework.
I attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois where I earned a BA in Psychology.
I also attended Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois where I earned a MA in Clinical Professional Psychology.
I am currently in the dissertation phase of my Doctoral studies in Counseling at Illinois Professional School of Psychology at Argosy Schaumburg.
What are some of the general cases or jobs you have worked?
I have worked in various settings and in varying capacities. I have worked as a program therapist in mental health facilities both in Illinois and in Louisiana. While in Louisiana I worked on acute adult inpatient units and worked with clients stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana. While in Illinois I have worked with children and adolescents in inpatient, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. I have worked as a trauma informed therapist and consultant in the Chicago Public School system and have also been a mental health consultant to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center.
From your knowledge with some of the cases you have conducted, how often has the idea of ethics been an issue in them?
Well, I am constantly considering the ethical implications of my decisions with clients given the populations I have worked with and settings I have worked in. An example would be my mental health and forensic work at the juvenile detention center. There is the occasional conflict between legislation, case law and the standards by which clinicians are held to in the profession. Even when there is clear compatibility between the legal and ethical standards, the vagueness of formal codes that often lead to subjective interpretation have me frequently seeking consultation (sigh). Strict adherence to the practice of simply avoiding the violation of legal standards may cause one to lose sight of the ethical responsibility and consequences of one’s decisions. In many cases the results of the deliberative process of ethical decision making can be the difference between life and death. It can be a challenging experience but it is necessary to protect clients the public and to sustain the field.
Today, during any human research, there are ethical boards that enforce their ethical standards*. How do you think past experiments, such as the Milgram experiments, results would have changed if they were conducted today?
*The ethical standards that I am referring to are the American Psychological Associations version, found at: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
Hmm, that’s a tough question. Given the reasons why most of those experiments would never get Institutional Review Board approval by today’s standard, it is difficult to determine how comparable the results be. Too many things to consider with replication. Some people believe that the results of the Milgram experiments were too harsh and should no longer be justified in today’s world of psychology. Even though these experiments did not follow today's ethical standards, can they still be used to justify human rationale?You know the issues with the experiment may have extended beyond ethics and I am certainly one that has my own criticisms. But we have the benefit of hindsight. Its iconic research that shouldn’t be totally dismissed. Its tricky.
Is there any penalty to breaking the APA Ethical Code?
Oh absolutely, if upon review a complaint of unethical behavior is founded penalties can range from verbal reprimands with recommendations up to a loss of your license.
Have you seen or heard of any experiments today that may have broken the APA Ethical Code that are still highly regarded and referenced to?
I cannot say that I have, but that is not to suggest that a more informed individual in this area may not be aware of such cases. I hope I understood what you were asking.
Is there anything else that you can think of that may pertain to this topic?
I was just having this ethics discussion with a few colleagues that have found themselves in the middle of a challenging ethical situation. As I shared with them, even the most well-intentioned and skilled clinician is not infallible, and as such, efforts should always be made to circumvent the mistakes that occasionally occur as the result of our limited perspective, wrong conclusions arrived at, and even the casual certainties about decisions that we develop over time in practice. Clinicians are constantly faced with ethical dilemmas that require an understanding of formal codes, case law and even relevant legislation as I mentioned earlier. However, as each client/client situation is unique, utilizing formal codes as a guide is essential, but decisions about ethical behavior are the result of a deliberate, thoughtful process. The ethical dilemmas that clinicians face do not always consist of clear and easy answers. The complexity lies in the occasional conflict between the ethical framework for the dilemma being addressed and the legal framework.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Strategy for Analyzing Sources
Dan McArthur, a philosophy professor at York University, acknowledges that in order to protect the "welfare" and "integrity" of an individuals mental and physical stability, requirements or rules are set forth.
McArthur, D. "Good ethics can sometimes mean better science: research ethics and the Milgram experiments." Science And Engineering Ethics 15 (2009): 69-79. MEDLINE Complete. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
TED Talks: Morals in Science
Harris, Sam. "Science can answer moral questions - Sam Harris." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 16 Feb. 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
Morals Answered in Science
Science has always been under controversy; the idea of fact versus theory. Sam Harris demonstrates that some of these are what people go to for their answers. Everything that one believes is influenced in some way by science. But, what about moral and ethical obligations? He informs the audience that when someone listens to or reads about science it is always has a chance to influence their decisions. When a person reads an article about the latest studies in psychology about how a patient deals with a phobia, they may read that they get pushed to the brink, the point of facing their fear head on even if it means a panic attack, which is actually true. From this they will create a reaction to this in which they will pick a side, one that will answer some form of moral question. If there is no other way to cure the phobia, is it justified or not? That is one of the many moral questions that science has the possibilities of answering.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Follow Up: Good Ethics, Better Science?
“It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.”
-Rene Descartes
Good Ethics, Better Science?
McArthur, D. "Good ethics can sometimes mean better science: research ethics and the Milgram experiments." Science And Engineering Ethics 15 (2009): 69-79. MEDLINE Complete. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
Ethics Behind the Milgram Experiments
Within this article, McArthur explores the different sides of the Milgram experiments. These experiments were conducted in order to observe how far a person would go, their obedience, even if it meant harming another human being. An example of such experiment is the electric shock switch chair. Milgram would give the learner, or student, a set of paired words to study, once studied, the instructor would give him a word and the learner would have to match it. If the word was not matched, the instructor would administer a shock and each consecutive shock would be stronger, but the instructor would not know that the learner was actually an actor that was not getting shocked at all. McArthur argues that many psychologists may cite Milgram's experiments today, but ethically standing they may hold some error. Ultimately there are two views that come out of this; the conclusions of Milgram's experiments are rather harsh or that through today's ethical boards, peoples and experimental integrity are being secured, therefore enforcing "better science."
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Some Research
Article One:
More of an example of what ethics are involved with psychology; this article pertains to what was behind the Stanford Prison Experiment. That being both sides of the methodology and situationist views.
Griggs, Richard and George Whitehead. "Coverage of the Stanford Prison Experiment in
Introductory Social Psychology Textbooks." Teaching of Psychology 41.4 (2014): 318-324. Teaching of Psychology. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Article Two:
This article provides a stronger base for how some step-wise decisions lack the sensitivity that some cases need. In this process it refers to different variables, values, and factors found in the selected cases.
Lasser, Jon, Laurie McGarry Klose, and Rachel Robillard. "Context-sensitive ethics in school psychology." Contemporary School Psychology 17 (2013): 119+. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Article Three:
The final article focuses on different commentators to the Milgram experiments and what ethical issues are brought forward. As it reaches beyond these experiments, it touches base on what different regions and boards set as ethical rules.
McArthur, D. "Good ethics can sometimes mean better science: research ethics and the Milgram experiments." Science And Engineering Ethics 15 (2009): 69-79. MEDLINE Complete. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
More of an example of what ethics are involved with psychology; this article pertains to what was behind the Stanford Prison Experiment. That being both sides of the methodology and situationist views.
Griggs, Richard and George Whitehead. "Coverage of the Stanford Prison Experiment in
Introductory Social Psychology Textbooks." Teaching of Psychology 41.4 (2014): 318-324. Teaching of Psychology. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Article Two:
This article provides a stronger base for how some step-wise decisions lack the sensitivity that some cases need. In this process it refers to different variables, values, and factors found in the selected cases.
Lasser, Jon, Laurie McGarry Klose, and Rachel Robillard. "Context-sensitive ethics in school psychology." Contemporary School Psychology 17 (2013): 119+. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Article Three:
The final article focuses on different commentators to the Milgram experiments and what ethical issues are brought forward. As it reaches beyond these experiments, it touches base on what different regions and boards set as ethical rules.
McArthur, D. "Good ethics can sometimes mean better science: research ethics and the Milgram experiments." Science And Engineering Ethics 15 (2009): 69-79. MEDLINE Complete. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
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