Comments on: What Might Research Ethics Teach Us About Effect Size? http://popsych.org/what-might-research-ethics-teach-us-about-effect-size/ The Internet's Best Evolutionary Psycholo-guy Wed, 03 Jan 2018 01:05:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Peter Gerdes http://popsych.org/what-might-research-ethics-teach-us-about-effect-size/#comment-1053 Peter Gerdes Sun, 20 Nov 2016 17:15:29 +0000 http://popsych.org/?p=5607#comment-1053 Yes, I know that is not how ERB's work but philosophers have long raised issues with the principles they apply. I think it's fairly accurate to say that ERBs (and similar concerns) aren't actually trying to reach the ethically correct answer (that's hard and people can disagree) but the answer that minimizes criticism. So as long as a research program would strike some people as ethically problematic they don't examine the issue further to see if they are right Yes, I know that is not how ERB’s work but philosophers have long raised issues with the principles they apply.

I think it’s fairly accurate to say that ERBs (and similar concerns) aren’t actually trying to reach the ethically correct answer (that’s hard and people can disagree) but the answer that minimizes criticism. So as long as a research program would strike some people as ethically problematic they don’t examine the issue further to see if they are right

]]> By: Peter Gerdes http://popsych.org/what-might-research-ethics-teach-us-about-effect-size/#comment-1052 Peter Gerdes Sun, 20 Nov 2016 17:11:43 +0000 http://popsych.org/?p=5607#comment-1052 Actually, it seems quite clear that even the Chile study would be ethical. After all if something is widely believed to be safe and consumed frequently by large numbers then the harm from not documenting it to be unsafe is huge. The utility calculations are clear. It's immoral not to do studies like this. Now when the treatment isn't in use and widely believed to be safe in the same population in which the study is being done things get a little more complicated. A study which feeds US college students a food common in Africa and assumed to be safe but not eaten in the US might, if it turns out to be harmful, undermine American's belief in the safety of research studies and make them less likely to participate. However, as long as the treatment is commonly used in the population from which subjects are drawn no one will feel ill used if the study demonstrates the treatment is harmful. Just the opposite, they will be thankful that they now know and they and their loved ones can avoid it from this point on. To be extra safe just tell the subjects you believe it to be dangerous but it isn't yet proven and it is commonly consumed. Actually, it seems quite clear that even the Chile study would be ethical.

After all if something is widely believed to be safe and consumed frequently by large numbers then the harm from not documenting it to be unsafe is huge. The utility calculations are clear. It’s immoral not to do studies like this.

Now when the treatment isn’t in use and widely believed to be safe in the same population in which the study is being done things get a little more complicated. A study which feeds US college students a food common in Africa and assumed to be safe but not eaten in the US might, if it turns out to be harmful, undermine American’s belief in the safety of research studies and make them less likely to participate.

However, as long as the treatment is commonly used in the population from which subjects are drawn no one will feel ill used if the study demonstrates the treatment is harmful. Just the opposite, they will be thankful that they now know and they and their loved ones can avoid it from this point on. To be extra safe just tell the subjects you believe it to be dangerous but it isn’t yet proven and it is commonly consumed.

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