Discussion: 300 words
finish it in 24 hours, no citation needed
Write about your opinion regarding business research and informed consent.
Ethics and Professionalism in CS
I N F O R M E D C O N S E N T
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A scientific investigation that involves
humans as the test subjects.
Benefits and harm balance.
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Done in the period between 1
9
3
2-19
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2 in Macon
Alabama by the US public health service.
An observational study to monitor the
development of untreated Syphilis.
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00 (399 with, 201 without) African-American
sharecroppers were involved in the study.
They were only told that they are receiving free
health-care and hot meals.
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In 19
4
7, Penicillin became a standard treatment for Syphilis.
◦ Poor subjects were never informed!!!
A public outcry halted this study in 1972.
◦ The harm caused on subjects not being treated outweighs the medical value out of
this study.
◦ More harm than benefit
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Human subjects MUST
◦ Be informed about the experiment
◦ Consent to the experiment without any
type of coercion.
◦ Have the right to withdraw at any time.
Researchers shouldn’t (INTENTIONALLY)
cause any harm to subjects.
Required by federal law.
◦ ONLY for government funded studies!!
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It is sometimes hard for subjects to assess the benefits vs harm in an experiment
they are involved in.
◦ Experimenters cannot do that alone!
Benefits vs harm should be assessed by whom?
IRBs comprises diverse members
◦ Including non-scientists.
It balances the potential harm on human subjects against benefits to the society.
Manages any violations of informed consent
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Informed consent and IRB review are NOT required if the study is done by
businesses.
A/B testing for online companies
◦ Group of customers shown version A
◦ Other group shown version B
◦ Compare
NOT considered human subjects research!!!!
◦ Considered a good business practice.
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In 20
12
, researchers at Facebook and Cornell
university conducted an experiment to
manipulate user mood (Emotional Contagion).
◦ Published in 20
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◦ News feed of some Facebook users (700, 000)
were manipulated
◦ Some were shown positive articles
◦ Others were shown negative articles
◦ Results were really interesting!!
◦ Mood is contagious!
Was it legal? Was it ethical?
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Facebook / Cornell
Experiment
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case
Online matching company.
◦ Match couple profiles
◦ A matching algorithm
◦ Compatibility score
The love is blind day (Suppressed photos)
◦ This results in more conversations
They tinkered with the algorithm
◦ They told couples they were compatible
even if they are not!!!!
◦ And vice versa
◦ Results were interesting!!!
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Experiment
Compatible Not Compatible
Truth
Compatible Good Good
Not Compatible Good Bad
OKCupid
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- �Ethics and Professionalism in CS
- Facebook / Cornell Experiment
Human Subjects Research
Tuskegee Case (1)
Tuskegee Case (2)
The Tuskegee case?
Informed Consent
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Informed Consent (Always possible??)
Business studies
Facebook/Cornell experiment
OKCupid case
OKCupid case (2)
OKCupid