Prepare for the Group Debate
Meet with the members of the group to discuss what each member has learned. Make notes of the strongest points of your perspective. Decide whether one person will do all the talking or whether the group will share the presentation.
Presentations
Each group will get 5-7 minutes to present the strongest points of their assigned perspectives. Listen to each presentation and consider how the perspective described matches your own views.
Class Vote
After all the presentations are finished, the each member of the class will vote on the perspective that seems the most useful to psychology.
Each member will also participate in a second vote for the perspective that most closely matches his or her personal perspective.
Debate: Ethics in Research
Due Date: _________________________
Name: __________________________________________ ID# _______________________
Course: __________________________________ Course/Section # __________________
Your instructor will assign you to debate one of the following research proposals:
Proposal 1: This study will investigate a potential vaccination for the sexually transmitted disease herpes by injecting monkeys with a herpes virus and then giving them the experimental drug.
Proposal 2: This study will investigate homophobic attitudes and behaviors by passing out questionnaires on your college campus. The information, which should be kept confidential, will be used in diversity and awareness workshops on campus.
Proposal 3: This study will investigate reactions to abortion by interviewing college women immediately after an abortion and then once every three months for two years. Because of the follow-up interviews the women's names will be required, but kept confidential.
Write a Reaction Paper:
Pretend that you are a member of the Institutional Review Board for your university or college. Write a one to two page paper on your reaction to the research. What additional information would you like to know? What are the risks and costs of the research? What are the potential benefits? Would you allow the research to continue? Why or why not?
Plan Your Presentation:
Meet with the other student(s) on your side of the argument Share your ideas and determine your strongest arguments. Decide who will give the presentation and make some notes.
Class Debate:
Each side will be given 5 minutes to present their side of the argument. Those in favor of allowing the research will argue first, and those against the research will respond. There will be a 3 minute break after the two sides have presented their cases. During this 3 minute break the rest of the class will write individual a one page reaction papers describing their own position on the issue. The two groups will spend the 3 minutes outlining their rebuttal statements. Each group will have 3 minutes to give a rebuttal statement, with the those arguing for the research presenting first.
Class Vote:
When the debate has ended the class will vote on whether to accept the proposal (and allow the research to occur) or to reject the proposal.
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