Teaching About Systemic Ethical Misconduct Increases Awareness of Ethical Principles: A Replication and Extension of Grose-Fifer’s (2017) Tuskegee Role-Play Activity

Abstract

Background: Introductory Psychology students rarely learn about unethical biomedical research outside the Tuskegee syphilis study, but these practices were widespread in U.S. public health research (e.g., at the Willowbrook State School researchers infected children with disabilities with hepatitis). Objectives: Replicate and extend Grose-Fifer’s research ethics activity by evaluating if an online homework and in-class role-play increased awareness of unethical research and abuses at Tuskegee (replication) and Willowbrook (extension) and subsequent changes in human subjects protections. Method: As homework, students read about the studies and wrote statements from perspectives of individuals involved. In class, students read their statements and discussed how outrage led to research conduct regulations. Online pre/posttests asked students why it was important to learn about both studies. Results: At posttest, students were more aware of unethical research at Willowbrook and that Tuskegee led to changes in human subjects protections. Students who completed the role-play activity were less likely to mention abuses for Tuskegee than students who did not participate. Conclusion: We were partially successful in replicating and extending Grose-Fifer. Teaching Implications: Research ethics instruction should draw attention to historical precedents and how public outrage and social activism led to increased protections for research participants.

Remote online learning outcomes in introductory psychology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“…Instructional materials included an open-access textbook (Diener Education Foundation, 2020), PowerPoint lecture slides, and Jeopardy review games (also in PowerPoint) posted to the learning management system; assignments included online homework assignments (HWs), multiple-choice quizzes on textbook modules, and multiple-choice tests on the material in PowerPoint slides; see Figure 1 for the timeline for submitting these course assignments. Additional assignments, not reported here, included oral presentations and discussion boards; see Schwartz et al (2017) and Rose et al (2021) for details.…”

Redesigning the introductory psychology course to support statistical literacy at an open-admissions college.

“…Given the broad survey of content in introductory psychology, not all materials and assignments focused on statistical literacy. Other materials and assignments included textbook modules from the Noba Project (Diener Education Foundation, 2020), multiple-choice quizzes and tests based on the Noba modules, a role-play activity on research misconduct at Tuskegee and at Willowbrook State School (Rose et al, 2022), and instructions, PowerPoint template, rubric, and worked example for student presentations on psychological disorders (Schwartz et al, 2017). We will not discuss these materials and assignments further in this report.…”

Alterando viés racial implícito em adultos pretos e brancos

“…As relações raciais são abordadas por diferentes áreas, como ciências sociais, saúde e política, o que contribuiu para que negros ocupassem diferentes espaços em que anteriormente não era permitido. Ainda que haja diferentes estudos que promovam a igualdade racial, a ciência também contribuiu para fomentar a desigualdade racial, como o caso da sífilis não tratada de Tuskegee, em que negros com sífilis não eram informados sobre o diagnóstico e, portanto, não eram cuidados (Rose, Brodsky, Che & Brooks, 2021); o Darwinismo Social que utilizava a teoria de Darwin de forma conturbada e inferia que brancos eram mais evoluídos do que negros (Rudman & Saud, 2020); ou o caso do Giro do Sino, em que autores da própria Análise do Comportamento, afirmavam a inferioridade dos negros baseando-se em testes que indicariam que estes têm quociente de inteligência (QI) inferior ao de brancos (Andery & Sério, 1997).…”