Recall and describe the specific practical and ethical constraints that prevent researchers from conducting a true experiment to determine whether damage to the hippocampus impairs long-term memory formation. How do researchers overcome these constraints?
Question: Recall and describe the specific practical and ethical constraints that prevent researchers from conducting a true experiment to determine whether damage to the hippocampus impairs long-term memory formation. How do researchers overcome these constraints?
Sample answer: Researchers cannot conduct a true experiment because it is highly unethical and practically impossible to intentionally manipulate the independent variable by inflicting brain damage on human participants. To overcome these constraints, researchers must rely on non-experimental methods, observing the memory capabilities of individuals who have already suffered naturally occurring hippocampus damage.
Key points:
- Intentionally inflicting brain damage on human participants is highly unethical.
- Manipulating the independent variable of brain damage is practically impossible.
- Researchers must rely on non-experimental research methods.
- Studies must observe individuals who have already suffered naturally occurring hippocampus damage.
Rubric: The response must recall that inflicting brain damage is unethical and practically impossible, preventing the manipulation of the independent variable. It must also state that researchers overcome this by using non-experimental methods to study individuals with naturally occurring damage.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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