Читать книгу Abnormal Psychology - William J. Ray - Страница 144

In the initial dialogue between the scientist and the prospective participant, the scientist must ask the participant to be a part of the experiment. This is the principle of voluntary participation. In essence, the voluntary participation principle requires that a person should participate in an experiment only by free choice. In addition, this principle states that a participant should be free to leave an experiment at any time, whether or not the experiment has been completed.

A Polish survivor displays scars she endured at a concentration camp during World War II. After the war, the Nuremberg trials focused on how the German Nazi government treated people under their control, including subjecting thousands of prisoners to medical experiments. These trials helped establish ethical considerations in research.

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voluntary participation: a principle stating that a person should participate in an experiment only by free choice, and should be free to leave an experiment at any time, whether or not the experiment has been completed

As you think about voluntary participation, you will become entangled in the question of whether anyone can ever make a free decision and, if so, under what circumstances. As you might have realized already, this question becomes even more complicated for someone interested in developmental psychology, which requires research with children, or for someone interested in psychopathology, which requires research with clients or patients who are mentally impaired. In terms of ethical concerns involving research with children, a number of recommendations have been put forward by the National Academies of Sciences, including how to obtain informed consent and ensure voluntary participation in research (Field & Behrman, 2004).