Alfred Kinsey and William Masters and Virginia Johnson: Were They Ethical?

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The scientific method and rules of ethics are important tools when researching and experimenting. When researchers abide by these guidelines, experimentation is considered to be safe for the test subjects, as well as the person conducting the research is considered reputable. Experiments go awry, however, when researchers ignore the scientific method and rules of ethics. The experiments of Alfred Kinsey and the scientific team of William Masters and Virginia Johnson have been criticized for their methods of research and sense of ethics. Both scientific teams researched human sexuality, a topic in which is perpetually scrutinized. Kinsey and Masters and Johnson were not always ethical in their studies, and did not always follow the scientific method. Alfred Kinsey is best known for his research in male and female sexual behaviors (Brown and Fee). His research and interest in this topic, however, did not start until he began teaching a marriage course at Indiana University (Discovery Fit and Health). Kinsey realized that there was very little information on human sexuality, so he decided to research it. With the help of his colleagues, Kinsey founded the Institute for Sex Research at Indiana University (Discovery Fit and Health). In order to understand whether the research Alfred Kinsey, or any researcher, conducted was scientifically acceptable, one has to understand the rules of ethics and the scientific method. The rules of ethics include informed consent of the participants; voluntary participation; restricting the use of deception and debriefing the participants after the experiment; keeping the information about the participants confidential; and providing alternative activities (Huffman 18-19). The scientific method i... ... middle of paper ... ...ce the times of Kinsey and Masters and Johnson have improved their techniques, so as not to fall in the same traps as their predecessors. Works Cited Brown, Theodore, and Elizabeth Fee. “Alfred C. Kinsey: A Pioneer of Sex Research.” American Journal of Public Health. 93. 6. (2003): n.p. Web. 29 Oct 2011. “Alfred C. Kinsey: Contributions to American Sexuality.” Discovery Fit and Health. Discovery Channel, 2002. Web. 29 Oct 2011. Keith, Jim. “SEX EXPERIMENTS OF ALFRED KINSEY.” The Forbidden Knowledge. Nitronews.com, n.d. Web. 29 Oct 2011. Huffman, Karen. Psychology in Action. 9th. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print. Griffitt, William, and Elaine Hatfield. “METHODS AND ISSUES IN SEX RESEARCH.” Humboldt University. n.p., 1985. Web. 29 Oct 2011. “Masters and Johnson.” BookRags. Thompson Corporation, 2005. Web. 29 Oct 2011.

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