Ethics in Research
Research Vs. Ethics
The APA principles for ethical research with human substitutes were created in order to provide protection to subjects that became part of research. The “ Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment” violated various principles of the codes for ethical research with human participants by constantly having its purpose and ethical value challenged by various members of society. This experiment began what would later become historic a battle between research and ethics. Research shows, that all of the participants in the “Tuskegee Syphilis experiment” were African-American, causing for all results to be based on only on race. One of the principals for ethical research is diversity, and it is required in order to prove the purpose of the research and to show that results will apply to more than one group of people. Allegations were made stating that the experiment was created to target and cause the death of many African Americans. “ Most editors stopped short of calling the Tuskegee Study genocide or charging that PHS officials were little better than Nazis”. (Jones, 1993) Ethical research requires adequate briefing, meaning they receive all the vital information relating to the research and any possible consequences that it may have for them to participate in it. Although the men involved consented to the experiment there were it was later proven, that the participants were not aware of all the details and repricautions of the experiment. As part of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, design to document the natural history of the disease, these men were told that they were being treated for “bad blood.” Proving that they had little to no knowledge of the damage their body was subjected to. The Tuskegee University claims “There were no proven treatments for syphilis when the study began. When penicillin became the standard treatment for the disease in 1947 the medicine was withheld as a part of the treatment for both the experimental group and control
The APA principles for ethical research with human substitutes were created in order to provide protection to subjects that became part of research. The “ Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment” violated various principles of the codes for ethical research with human participants by constantly having its purpose and ethical value challenged by various members of society. This experiment began what would later become historic a battle between research and ethics. Research shows, that all of the participants in the “Tuskegee Syphilis experiment” were African-American, causing for all results to be based on only on race. One of the principals for ethical research is diversity, and it is required in order to prove the purpose of the research and to show that results will apply to more than one group of people. Allegations were made stating that the experiment was created to target and cause the death of many African Americans. “ Most editors stopped short of calling the Tuskegee Study genocide or charging that PHS officials were little better than Nazis”. (Jones, 1993) Ethical research requires adequate briefing, meaning they receive all the vital information relating to the research and any possible consequences that it may have for them to participate in it. Although the men involved consented to the experiment there were it was later proven, that the participants were not aware of all the details and repricautions of the experiment. As part of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, design to document the natural history of the disease, these men were told that they were being treated for “bad blood.” Proving that they had little to no knowledge of the damage their body was subjected to. The Tuskegee University claims “There were no proven treatments for syphilis when the study began. When penicillin became the standard treatment for the disease in 1947 the medicine was withheld as a part of the treatment for both the experimental group and control
Cited: American Psycological Association. (2010, June 1). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved Feb 8, 2013, from American Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx?item=15 Jones, J. H. (1993). Bad Blood. New York , NY: The Free Press. Tuskegee University. (n.d.). About the USPHS Syphilis Study. Retrieved Feb 8, 2013, from Tuskegee University: http://www.tuskegee.edu/about_us/centers_of_excellence/bioethics_center/about_the_usphs_syphilis_study.aspx