Iteration 1
A researcher is interested in studying how listening to calming music for a short period every day may affect memory retention over one week. Participants 18 years or older will listen to calming music every day for 7 days for 30 minutes. The 30 minute period will begin at 9:30. At 10:00, participants will complete a memory game.
Questions:
What are the risks and benefits of the research?
How would you address the ethical issues posed by this iteration of the study?
How would you minimize the risks in this iteration?
Iteration 2
Instead of listening to calming music for 30 minutes, participants will observe violent images for 30 minutes prior to completing memory tests.
A researcher is interested in studying how being exposed to violent images for a short period every day may affect memory retention over one week. Participants 18 years or older will watch a prerecorded 30 minute set of violent images on YouTube every day for 7 days. The images are taken from current and historical war and crime photojournalism available online. The 30 minute period will begin at 9:30. At 10:00, participants will complete a memory test.
Questions:
What has changed about the research population?
What are the most significant research design changes?
What has changed in regard to the risks and benefits of the research?
How would you address the ethical issues posed by this iteration of the study?
How would you minimize the risks in this iteration?
Iteration 3
A researcher is interested in studying how drinking cups of coffee at regular times every day may affect memory retention over one week. Participants 18 years or older will be randomized into two groups. Group A will drink two cups of coffee at 8 am, 11 am, 8 pm, and 11 pm every day for 7 days. Group B will drink two cups of decaffeinated coffee at 8 am, 11 am, 8 pm, and 11 pm every day for 7 days. The researcher will make this coffee available to participants. At 10:00 every day, participants will complete a memory game.
Questions:
What has changed about the research population?
What are the most significant research design changes?
What has changed in regard to the risks and benefits of the research?
How would you address the ethical issues posed by this iteration of the study?
How would you minimize the risks in this iteration?