History of Ethics in Psychology

  • Period: 6500 BCE to 1400

    Trephination

    People who displayed abnormal behavior in this time period where believed to be possessed by demons. Holes were drilled into the skull to release the demons. These treatments were often administered without the patient's permission.
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    Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

    Men of color believed they were receiving free health care when their blood was tested, however, the federal government was conducting an experiment on untreated syphilis. These men unknowingly passed it on to their spouses and children because the government did not alert them of their condition.
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    Nazi Concentration Camp Experiments

    This experiment was administered to people who were gay or not born of Arian decent. Patients were deprived of sleep, given unnecessary surgery without anesthesia, and subjected to physical and phycological torture.
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    The Nuremburg Code

    This code was developed to require that experiments were done in humane ways. It set regulations such as voluntary consent, avoidance and protection from harm, and required that experiments be conducted by scientifically qualified professionals.
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    Stanford Prison Experiment

    Participants were assigned roles as either guards or prisoners in a makeshift prison. Prisoners were arrested and strip searched by the guards who eventually started showing sadistic behavior. The study reveled that even mentally stable people can become unreasonable when given authority.
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    Protection of Human Subjects

    In the code of federal regulations, requirements are outlined for experiments conducted on specific groups of people. These groups include pregnant women and fetuses, incarcerated prisoners, children, and human subjects in general
  • Institution Review Boards

    In order to receive federal funding and grants, it is required that education on protection of human research participants must be completed. The review board is responsible for reviewing and approving research applications.