Question 1

The PRIMARY ethical research issue raised by the Milgram study was

Accepted Answer

The primary ethical issue raised by the Milgram study was the psychological stress and potential harm to the participants (experimental subjects) who believed they were administering painful electric shocks to others, raising concerns about the well-being and informed consent of the participants.

Question 2

According to the NASW Code of Ethics,social workers violate their ethical responsibilities if they refrain from using research to guide their practice.

Accepted Answer

According to the NASW Code of Ethics, social workers are required to use research to inform their practice and failure to do so may be considered a violation of their ethical responsibilities (Standard 4.01). This is because social workers are expected to provide effective and evidence-based interventions to clients, and research can help inform best practices and improve outcomes.

Question 3

Concealing the nature of the study from those being observed violates the norm of voluntary participation.

Accepted Answer

Concealing the nature of the study from those being observed goes against the principle of informed consent and violates the norm of voluntary participation, which requires that participants are fully aware of what they are agreeing to when they volunteer for a study.

Question 4

When names are removed from questionnaires and are replaced with identification numbers so that only the researcher can later link a response to a name,the researcher should tell the respondent that the information is

Accepted Answer

The information is confidential because the researcher can still link responses to individuals, but it is not anonymous since the identity can be traced back by the researcher.

Question 5

The ethical research issue(s)raised by the Trouble in the Tearoom study was/were:

Accepted Answer

The study involved hidden observation and recording of participants in a private setting (the tearoom), which is a clear invasion of privacy. Additionally, participants were deceived about the true nature of the study, as they believed they were engaging in anonymous sexual encounters when in reality they were being observed and recorded. Therefore, both invasion of privacy and deception were ethical issues raised by this study.

Question 6

What ethical guideline(s)is are violated in the following study? A child therapist thinks the new,untested psychotherapy she recently developed is more effective than physician-prescribed medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.To research the effectiveness of her therapy,she tells parents that the therapy replaces the need for the medications and then provides the therapy to half of her clients,without telling parents about the study or which treatment group their child is in.

Accepted Answer

All three ethical guidelines are violated in this study. The therapist is deceiving parents by not informing them of the study and which treatment group their child is in, which violates the principle of informed consent. The therapist's decision to provide untested therapy to children without their parents' knowledge could potentially harm the child and violate the principle of no harm to the participant. Finally, the therapist's act of deceiving subjects by providing them with misinformation to participate in the study violates the principle of voluntary participation.

Question 7

Science can be affected by political matters.

Accepted Answer

Science can be influenced by political matters, such as funding priorities, research restrictions, and ideological biases. Political decisions can also impact the dissemination and acceptance of scientific findings.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is true about the dilemma involving the right to receive services versus the responsibility to evaluate service effectiveness?

Accepted Answer

The statement correctly portrays a dilemma involving conflicting values. None of the other statements accurately reflect the situation.

Question 9

Ethical issues are distinguished from political issues in research in that

Accepted Answer

Ethical issues are distinguished from political issues primarily because formal codes of ethical conduct, such as those established by professional organizations, are well-defined and universally recognized, whereas formal codes of political conduct are not as comparable or standardized. Ethical codes provide clear guidelines on the conduct of research, including the treatment of participants, data management, and reporting, which are not typically addressed in the same way by political codes.

Question 10

Once people are told that their participation in a research study is voluntary,there are no ethical problems.

Accepted Answer

While informing participants about their voluntary participation is important and necessary for ethical research, there may still be ethical issues that arise during the course of the study that need to be addressed, such as ensuring confidentiality and obtaining informed consent. Additionally, coercion or pressure to participate could still occur even if participation is technically voluntary.

Question 11

Because social scientists rarely plan studies that could physically harm subjects,the issue of no harm to subjects is not a real problem.

Accepted Answer

The principle of "no harm to subjects" is a fundamental ethical consideration in research, regardless of the likelihood of physical harm, as it also encompasses psychological, emotional, and social harm.

Question 12

The lack of intrusion of the researcher's own political position on research is called

Accepted Answer

Value-free research refers to research that is free from the researcher's own personal or political beliefs, biases or values, ensuring that the research findings are objective and unbiased. The other options, such as anonymity, confidentiality, researcher identity, and deception, refer to different aspects of research practices and do not necessarily entail the absence of the researcher's own political position.

Question 13

Which of the following can harm subjects?

Accepted Answer

All of the given options have the potential to harm subjects in some way. Asking participants to face aspects of themselves they do not normally consider can be emotionally challenging, revealing unpopular attitudes may lead to social disdain or isolation, and identifying deviant behavior may result in feelings of shame or guilt. Allowing participants to easily identify themselves in the final report can also result in negative consequences, such as social stigma or professional repercussions. Therefore, it is important for researchers to consider potential harms and implement measures to minimize them.

Question 14

Ethical considerations are invoked by

Accepted Answer

All of these may invoke ethical considerations. The selection of participants, the research setting, the analysis of data, and the reporting of data all have the potential to raise ethical issues that must be carefully considered and addressed by researchers.

Question 15

It is often as important to report that variables are not related as to report that they are related.

Accepted Answer

It is important to report that variables are not related because it helps to avoid drawing incorrect conclusions or making false assumptions. Reporting non-relationships can also provide information about the limitations of the study and guide future research.

Question 16

The norm of voluntary participation threatens the social research goal of generalizability.

Accepted Answer

The norm of voluntary participation means that individuals choose whether or not to participate in a study, which can lead to a biased sample that is not representative of the broader population. This threatens the goal of generalizability, which is to make predictions and draw conclusions about a larger population based on a sample.

Question 17

Ethical obligations regarding analysis and reporting

Accepted Answer

Ethical obligations require complete transparency and honesty in reporting research findings. This includes revealing any technical shortcomings or failures in the study, regardless of their effect on the outcome. Concealing negative findings or inaccurately presenting the findings as a result of a preplanned strategy would be unethical.

Question 18

The ethical issues are always readily apparent in research projects.

Accepted Answer

Ethical issues may not always be readily apparent in research projects and may require careful consideration and analysis. It is the responsibility of the researchers and the institutional review boards to identify and address any potential ethical issues that may arise during the course of a study.

Question 19

As soon as you tell subjects that you are doing research,the ethical issue of the researcher's identity is no longer a problem.

Accepted Answer

Even when a researcher discloses their identity to the subjects, there may still be ethical issues related to the researcher's relationship with the subjects, potential biases, and informed consent. The disclosure of identity is just one aspect of ethical research practices.

Question 20

The NASW Code of Ethics stipulates that social workers should:

Accepted Answer

All of the given options are stipulated in the NASW Code of Ethics as ethical responsibilities of social workers. Social workers are required to use research, critically examine emerging knowledge, and base their practice on empirically based knowledge to ensure effective and ethical service delivery. Therefore, option D is the best answer.

Quiz 5: Ethical Issues in Social Work Research