Questions:

Consider the following experiment, similar to one that was conducted by Smith et al. (1978). each participant interacted for an hour with another person who was actually an accomplice of the researcher. After this interaction, both personas agreed to return one week later for another session with each other. When the real participants returned, they were informed that the person they had met the week before had died. The researchers then measure d reactions to the death of the person.

a. List at least 3 ethical issues raised by the experiment.

b. What alternative methods of studying this problem (reactions to death) might you suggest?

c. Would your reactions to this study be different if the participants had played with an infant and then later been told that the infant had died? Explain in 3 sentences or more.