Ethical Responsibility

Many research psychologists have research teams they work with and some members of the team end up on the publications while others do not. For two months during summer, Ann conducted research as an undergraduate student at a well-known university. She spent long hours in the laboratory injecting mice with opiate blockers to look at pain tolerance. She was responsible for shocking them, as a test for pain tolerance, and euthanizing them at the end of the study. When the a r t ic l e was published months later, Ann was surprised to find her name was only included in a note of thanks. What do you think about this situation?

• Did Ann have a right to be upset, or should she have been grateful for the opportunity? Why?
• Do you think a psychology professor who has published a number of scientific articles is more knowledgeable about the field of psychology as compared to a professor who has not published? Why?
• Use the South University Online Library to investigate the significance of the sequence in which authors' names appear on a p a p e r. Discuss your findings.
• Given that research involves teamwork, do you think that the hierarchical implications of this sequence are appropriate?