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I'm surprised this passed ethics approval. I doubt you'd be allowed to perform such an experiment on random strangers these days.
by cperciva 10y ago
I'm surprised this passed ethics approval. I doubt you'd be allowed to perform such an experiment on random strangers these days.
- belorn 10y agoInteresting question, but I would not that surprised if it did pass ethics approval. In some way, its no different from AB testing on a website/store/road/other public areas. The question that should be asked is if there is any harm caused, and asking how reasonable it is that someone gets psychological harm from the complement and the information that it was part of a sociology experiment with an opt-out choice afterward to not be included in the record. I recall that Mythbusters did several such experiments, like the "is yawning contagious" test.
- cperciva 10y agoMythbusters doesn't have to go through university ethics boards. And I'd say that "yawn in front of someone" is considerably less intrusive than "proposition someone".
- eanzenberg 10y agoWhy? Do you think we live in 17th century puritan Pennsylvania?