Pretend that you and your lab group are members of the institutional review board (IRB). Read each of the following research proposals and evaluate the study for adherence to ethical principles of research conduct. Think about and answer the following questions to help you evaluate each study. Make suggestions, where possible, on how to improve the study to meet ethical guidelines.

Does the study have scientific merit? How will society or the subjects of the study benefit?

Does the study place subjects at risk for either physical or psychological harm? If it does, what aspects of the study cause this risk?

Can you suggest less risky procedures that would still provide the researcher with the same information?Will subjects read and sign a consent form? If not, is there enough information given to the subjects to provide informed consent?

Does the study use deception? If it does, will the subjects be fully debriefed?

Can you think of a way for the researchers to answer the research question without using deception?Can the participants reasonably refuse to participate or withdraw during the study?

If not, what part of the study appears to be coercive?Will the subjects' data be kept confidential?Do you have any other concerns about the study? If so, what are they?

Study 3. In order to test the effects of control of eating behaviors on stress responses, rats will be run in pairs through an experiment. One rat in the pair will be presented with food whenever it makes the correct response in a discrimination task. A second rat will be presented with food at random times (i.e., not connected to its behavior). The rats and their food will be visible to each other during the experiment. Immediately after the experimental session, the rats will be removed from the test chambers and sacrificed. Their stomachs will be inspected for ulcers. The study will determine if the rats that lack control over the availability of food develop more stomach ulcers than the other rats. This information may have implications for health of humans with different eating habits. Therefore, the important information this study will provide justifies the use of shock treatments to the animals.