Write a post of 1 to 2 paragraphs

Watch the
video on Genie Wiley
(
https://amara.org/videos/doXnriWsAEgx/url/651014/ ) What ethical considerations do you think apply to the research conducted on Genie (consider the APA’s ethical principles and standards when answering)? Compare and contrast these ethical considerations to the ones most relevant to the classic examples of ethically dubious psychological research: the Stanford Prison simulation and Milgram’s learning experiments.

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two
classmates

Classmate 1-JS

Significant ethical questions are raised by the study of Genie Wiley, especially in light of the APA’s (American Psychological Association) ethical norms and guidelines. The concept of Beneficence and non-maleficence, which highlights the significance of maximizing benefits and limiting damage to participants, is one main area of focus. While the study in Genie’s case sought to provide light on how language develops and how people behave, it also put her at risk of injury given the considerable abuse and neglect she had previously endured (Armchair Investigator, 2023).

The justice concept also calls into question fairness and equality of treatment. It was challenging to make sure that Genie was handled equitably within the framework of the study due to her exceptional and singular condition. Her susceptibility to abuse and past maltreatment may have made her a target of exploitation or insufficient care throughout the study procedure.

The concept of respect for persons also emphasizes the need to get informed consent and treat people with dignity and autonomy. Genie had serious communication and socializing problems, making it difficult to get her to provide informed permission. This raises concerns regarding how well she was aware of the study and her willingness to participate.

Some ethical issues are shared when comparing this situation to the Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgram’s Obedience Experiments. The Stanford Prison Experiment generated concerns about damage and a lack of informed consent since it mimicked a prison atmosphere and caused volunteers to experience severe psychological discomfort. Similar to this, subjects in Milgram’s studies requiring submission to authority people experienced psychological stress, and the degree of deceit utilized raised questions regarding informed consent.

The moral values of justice and respect for others, as well as beneficence and no maleficence, were violated in all three circumstances. To guarantee that their studies advance the field without inflicting unnecessary damage or abusing vulnerable individuals, researchers must carefully evaluate these ethical considerations.

 
Reference

Armchair Investigator. (2023, April 6). The True Story Of Genie Wiley: The Feral Child Kept In Isolation

Classmate 2-LC

I believe that there are a lot of ethical considerations that can be applied to the Genie Wiley case. Genie was an extremely rare case that we had tried to learn from and understand more about the human mind and language. In my opinion, four out of five ethical principles for the APA code of ethics apply to this case. The first principle is beneficence and non-maleficence. The main concept of this principle is that psychologists will strive to benefit those with whom they work and take care to not harm (APA, 2017). The psychologists not only wanted to help Genie, but they also knew that researching her would provide answers to many other questions about the human mind. They had not physically done her any harm, but by advancing her intellect, she was also reliving her traumatic experiences. 

            The second principle is fidelity and responsibility. This is when psychologists establish a relationship of trust (APA, 2017). Genie and the psychologist’s relationship had been brought a step further when she went from home to home. This turns into a multiple relationship for the psychologist, which can cause ethical issues. Yet due to her condition, it was a good intention to try and give her a safe space to live. The third principle is justice. This ensures individuals are treated fairly and equally (APA, 2017). The psychologists had tried to treat Genie fairly and equally to the extent of what she could and could not learn. This means that though Genie was a bright girl, due to the development of her brain, she could only learn so much. The final principle is respect for people’s rights and dignity. Genie was respected well enough by psychologists, but they did not get permission from her or her family to experiment on her. Genie’s rights were still technically in the hands of her mother due to her not being able to communicate properly either. I believe there was good and bad in all these ethical considerations.

            As for classical examples of research ethical doubts, the Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgram’s obedience experiment are comparable to the Genie Wiley case. One example is the lack of informed consent. There was also no debriefing for the participants in these experiments. In Genie’s case, debriefing would be hard though she was intellectual, but in Milgram’s and Zimbardo’s, they should have had debriefing. All three experiments lacked the principle of a person’s respect and dignity as well. Genie’s case was different with the principle of responsibility. This was due to the multiple role relationship the psychologist’s had with Genie. Though these experiments furthered our knowledge in the field, it does not mean that there was no cost.

Reference:

American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct (2002, amended effective June 1, 2010, and January 1, 2017).
http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.html