In a Memory Study, Researchers Have Participants Study a List

question 212

Multiple Choice

In a memory study, researchers have participants study a list of words, and then tell them it was the wrong list and that they should forget it. This deception is meant to see how effectively participants can forget something they have already studied. If the researchers plan to debrief the participants afterward, would this design meet the standards of an ethical study?

• A) No, it is not okay to mislead individuals during the course of a study.
• B) Yes, given that the participants are not at risk and that they will be debriefed, this seems to be an ethical study.
• C) No, because the researchers should not debrief the participants-it will simply cause them to become angry.
• D) Yes, because participants fully understood all aspects of the study.

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Definitions:

Just Noticeable Difference

Just noticeable difference is the minimum difference in stimulation that a person can detect 50% of the time, also known as the threshold of sensory detection.

Grams

A metric unit of mass equal to one thousandth of a kilogram.

Pupil

The part of the eye located in the center of the iris that controls the amount of light entering the eye.

Iris

The colored part of the eye surrounding the pupil, responsible for controlling the amount of light reaching the retina.