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Post by cagnazzo on Apr 25, 2011 15:00:59 GMT -5
I agree. His parents should have known. But everything else I think was handled well - much better than some other "social experiments," like where people fake being homeless and scam people into giving them free stuff, or where they're deliberately offensive in order to get arise out of people. Those are called "trolls." It's not really an experiment if there are no control groups, hypotheses, or data points collected. |
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Post by brendanjd on Apr 25, 2011 15:02:53 GMT -5
Considering that the only people who would have suffered any backlash are the girl, her mother, the boyfriend, and the principal, all of whom consented to the experiment, it seems perfectly ethical to me.
This experiment was not invasive or physically/emotionally harmful to anyone who did not consent. It's not like her classmate were being hooked up to lie detectors or prodded with needles or subjected to a Ludovico treatments. Their reaction to a common sight was being recorded without their knowledge. If they have a problem with that, they might be angry with the knowledge that the average American is recorded dozens of times a day without their knowledge.
Unless of course learning that you are not a perfect human being who has no prejudice/bigotry in emotionally harmful.
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Post by Sigmaleph on Apr 27, 2011 0:29:46 GMT -5
And today, we have learnt... actually, fuck-all. This doesn't reveal anything new. It's nowhere near strict enough to help make previous knowledge more solid, either. Sure, the people involved may have learnt a thing or two about themselves, but that's about it.
I don't think it was unethical, but it wasn't science either.
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Post by wmdkitty on Apr 27, 2011 0:34:37 GMT -5
Sigma, I think the whole point was to illustrate society's attitude towards teen mothers.
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Post by Vene on Apr 27, 2011 9:57:12 GMT -5
Sigma, I think the whole point was to illustrate society's attitude towards teen mothers. That's more a political statement than a scientific statement. |
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Post by brendanjd on Apr 27, 2011 13:21:22 GMT -5
It was a senior project for high school. No shit it isn't 'real' science. It's like that volcano/ant farm you made for the science fair. It'll get a good grade and that's it, but everyone knows that. the reason it is getting air time is because it's 'controversial'.
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Post by Shane for Wax on Apr 27, 2011 13:50:10 GMT -5
It's a soft science-- sociology and psychology rolled into one. I approve.
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Post by Thejebusfire on Apr 27, 2011 15:26:11 GMT -5
I always thought about doing something like that but was never brave enough.
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