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Explain how Dr. Julian's recruitment protocol compromises the principle of autonomy, and describe which specific ethical prerequisite of research participation is violated as a result of this design.
Case context: Dr. Julian is planning a study on learning styles and recruits participants from his own introductory psychology class. He informs the class that participation is required to pass the course, and students who do not participate will receive a failing grade. No alternative assignments or opt-out options are provided.
Question: Explain how Dr. Julian's recruitment protocol compromises the principle of autonomy, and describe which specific ethical prerequisite of research participation is violated as a result of this design.
Sample answer: Dr. Julian's recruitment protocol compromises autonomy because it forces participation through the threat of a failing grade, which is a form of coercion. Because autonomy requires that participants make decisions free from coercion, this setup violates the requirement of true informed consent, as students cannot freely choose whether or not to participate.
Key points:
- The threat of failing the course constitutes coercion.
- Coercion denies participants their right to make independent choices.
- True informed consent is violated because consent is not given freely.
- Upholding autonomy requires research participation to be voluntary.
Rubric: The response must explain that threatening students with a failing grade constitutes coercion, which directly violates their right to make independent choices (autonomy). It must also state that the requirement of true informed consent is violated because consent cannot be freely given under coercive conditions.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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