Research Ethics and Sexuality: The Influence of Personal Ideologies

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which participants maintained their original ideologies after being exposed to a synopsis of an unethical experiment. The study primarily screened for anti-gay prejudices in participant responses with the intent to determine if another’s sexuality influenced the participant’s view on the ethicality of the experiment. Participants were asked to complete a preliminary set of questionnaires to determine their background knowledge on unethical experiments and attitudes towards science. They were then requested to complete the second part of the study where they were exposed to a condition of the unethical experiment and administered additional questionnaires. The second set of questionnaires were designed to reassess their attitudes towards science and obtain information on their views of the LGBT community. This study focuses on the Tearoom Trade Study and how the knowledge of another’s sexual identity could potentially influence an individual’s opinion on whether an unethical experiment is justifiable or not. I hypothesize that support for victims involved in unethical research will decrease when they are a part of the LGBT community and will increase when the victim is heterosexual.