00:01
Here, we're given a passage and asked to consider the ethics of observational research.
00:06
So to start, let's go ahead and read through the passage and underline any information that's relevant to understanding the ethics of observational research.
00:17
So the passage says, students in an experimental psychology course are asked to go to the food court at the mall in order to make observations of people's eating behavior after they leave a weight watchers meeting, which is held at the mall.
00:32
Students are given strict instructions not to interact with the people eating at all, but just to record certain behaviors such as the fattening foods that a person eats or what size portions a person gets from a fast -food restaurant or the perceived weight of the person.
00:54
One of the people notices that the students are watching people and he she complains to mall security the manager of the mall asks the students where they're from then writes a letter of complaint to their teacher here is an excerpt i am requesting that you do not engage in any more observational research at the mall i do not think it is appropriate to allow students to observe other people's behavior without obtaining permission from the individuals i consider it a violation of people's privacy and it's wrong even if they don't realize they're being watched people come to the food court to eat not to be watched so now we need to answer the follow -up questions first what are some reasons that the manager may be concerned explain so main the main reason here seems to be lack of informed consent.
02:01
That is, the people are being observed without their knowledge, so they're not giving consent to be observed.
02:08
This is clearly what the manager is upset about when he says that it's an issue that the students are observing without obtaining permission.
02:18
That makes it very clear that this is an informed consent issue...