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Evaluate the ethical justification of a proposed study that plans to deceive participants into believing they have contracted a contagious illness in order to study health-related anxiety. Specifically, assess this study against the APA Ethics Code condition regarding physical pain and severe emotional distress.

Question: Evaluate the ethical justification of a proposed study that plans to deceive participants into believing they have contracted a contagious illness in order to study health-related anxiety. Specifically, assess this study against the APA Ethics Code condition regarding physical pain and severe emotional distress.

Sample answer: This study is not ethically permissible under the APA Ethics Code. Deceiving participants into believing they have a contagious illness is highly likely to cause severe emotional distress and anxiety. Since the APA code strictly prohibits deception when participants are expected to experience physical pain or severe emotional distress, this design cannot be ethically justified.

Key points:

  • Judge the study as ethically impermissible under the APA guidelines.
  • State that making participants believe they have a contagious illness is expected to cause severe emotional distress.
  • Conclude that this violates the APA condition that prohibits deception under conditions of physical pain or severe emotional distress.

Rubric: The evaluation must state that the study is ethically impermissible. It must specifically cite the APA Ethics Code condition prohibiting deception that is expected to cause physical pain or severe emotional distress, and explain that believing one has a contagious illness violates this threshold.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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