Dianne S. Dicion
BS Psych 2-2
PSYCH 2125
Insight Paper 1
THE HUMAN SUBJECT IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
I.
Summary
The main article in “The Human Subject in Psychological Research” is the “The Subject's
Changing Role in Psychology's History,” which encompasses ethical and practical issues involved
in using human subjects in psychological research. It tackles about the observers who were trained
to be a hard introspective laborer in a mechanical approach. There are also reagents who are born
“psychologist” which are gifted with good habits, attitudes, and characteristics of mind. Thus, no
matter how thoroughly taught and mechanized, they couldn't have all delivered highly identical
results.
Another important aspect of the article is its examination of the different types of human
subjects that are typically used in psychological research. These include healthy volunteers,
clinical populations, and vulnerable populations such as children and prisoners. Schultz
emphasizes the importance of treating all human subjects with dignity and respect, and ensuring
that their rights are protected throughout the research process. Overall, "The Human Subject in
Psychological Research" provides a comprehensive overview of the ethical and practical issues
involved in using human subjects in psychological research. It is a valuable resource for
psychologists, researchers, and anyone interested in the responsible conduct of psychological
research.
II.
Insights
After reading the main article, what draws my attention is the capability of the psychologist
to avoid and look for the errors. In that way, they were able to produce a publication worthy data
that underwent an introspection. The observers were called “reagents” and the process of
observation being mechanized with experience and training, so that it was not a deliberate act. In
addition to that, not all people can be a “reagent” because they were not trustworthy enough to be
one. Binet (1894) also stated that not everyone has the capability to think in an introspective way
because some were gifted with a greater degree and they are called “Psychologist”.
However, even when some people were born gifted of introspective mind, it still can be
trained and developed. It also requires a healthy body, free from anxiety and other mental illnesses,
and comfortableness in their surroundings. According to Wundt and Titchener, the existence of
individual variations among the reagents to be a nuisance that should be removed rather than
examined.
The term behaviorism was also discussed in the article. This is where the experimenter
watches the subject's reactions to the conditions. The human subject lost his standing as an
observer and was reduced to acting as the object of observation. And practically everyone can act
appropriately, including young toddlers, the mentally sick, animals, and even college students. To
sum it up, when a human is used in the laboratory for experiment, is not a person but a mere subject
for experimental purposes.