Activity 5: Playing the Role of the IRB
Consider the following social psychology study: The purpose ofthis study was to investigate the effects on physiologicalbehaviors of personal-space invasions. Middlemist, Knowles, andMatter (1976) arranged an interesting field experiment of urinationbehaviors in college males. They conducted their experiment in amen’s restroom at a university, such that men using the restroomwere selected as participants, and a field experiment wasconducted. Three urinals in the restroom were arranged so that menentering the restroom were forced to use:
(1) the end urinal with a confederate next to them (the urinalat the other end had a “being cleaned†sign and a bucket and spongeplaced on it), or
(2) the end urinal with a confederate two urinals away (themiddle urinal had the sign), or
(3) the end urinal with no confederate nearby (both of the otherurinals had signs).
An experimenter in a stall measured the time it took for theparticipant to begin urination and the length of time he urinated.Participants were never informed that they were participating in aresearch study. The researchers found that the participants in thecondition with the confederate at the urinal next to them tooklonger to begin urination and urinated for a shorter duration thanthe other two conditions, indicating that invasion of personalspace affects physiological behaviors.
Your task, as a group is to play the role of the IRB in decidingwhether you would have supported the approval of this study. Wewill answer a couple of the criteria as a class and then each groupwill answer half of the criteria and we will together decidewhether this study should have been approved.
Researcher minimizes unnecessary risk (CLASS).
Risk in the study is justified by potential benefits (GROUP1).
The selection of participants is fair and appropriate (GROUP2).
An informed consent process is included and documented (GROUP1).
Collection of data is monitored to ensure the safety of theparticipants (GROUP 2).
Privacy and confidentiality of the participants are protected(GROUP 1).
Special groups of participants are protected (GROUP 2).
A study using deception has a documented process for debriefing(CLASS).
Based on our class and group discussion, if you were an IRB,would you have approved this study? Why or why not? ( Please bedetailed)
