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The Strange Situation Essay

391 Words2 Pages

There have been numerous studies performed, both in the past and present, that provide researchers with information in the field of psychology. Many of these studies involve human participants, such as classic studies like the Strange Situation, the Study of Obedience, and the Stanford Prison Experiment. While there are potential benefits to including human participants in psychological research, the ethics behind the involvement of people in such studies, including the abovementioned studies, can be a controversial topic (Youngpeter 1). While there are both advantages and disadvantages to most things in life, it is my position that involving people in psychological research is a positive thing that can provide researchers and even everyday …show more content…

In Dewar’s article “Is Your Child Securely Attached? The Strange Situation Test,” she explains that the study was conducted in order to determine the level and type of attachment between young children and their mothers (Dewar). The use of human participants in this type of study is beneficial because it allows researchers to directly observe the relationship between two types of people: the mother and the infant. Without human participants in this type of study, there would be very little insight into real human relationships. The drawbacks of such a study are also quite low, with the main disadvantage being the lengthy amount of time that the study needs in order for the study to be conducted (Rutter 68). Milgram’s Study of Obedience and the Stanford Prison Experiment are known for being more controversial than the Strange Situation, and, according to Katie Youngpeter, these two studies helped experts form the guidelines to ethics within psychological research (Youngpeter 7). In the case of Milgram’s Study of Obedience, one concern was the act of deception towards the human participant: in other words, the conductor of the study intentionally leaving out certain information from the participant before the study takes place. The current APA ethical guidelines regarding human participants in research include a mandatory “debriefing” after the study, in which the participants are given an explanation for their deception

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