Dear Graduate Research Advisor:
I am researching a military academy where the Comondant granted me
permission and access to observe recruits in the academy program. a My primary
focus of the study is the induction process for recruits, and so far, I have
immersed myself into the environment, so there is little reactivity by the staff or
recruits (Jackson, 2018). a Recently, I observed behaviors by the recruits that are
somewhat concerning to me, and I need guidance to make ethical decisions
about the behaviors I observed. a
Last week, two staff members were addressing a recruit, and the staff member's
behavior appeared to be severe bullying. a During my observations, I have observed
stressed-induce situations, which seemed appropriate to challenge the recruits in
certain conditions. a The incident last week was different and presented a possible
ethical dilemma. The staff members' actions focused on the recruit's specific
personality and gender-based physical traits, not her performance. a In my opinion,
this type of bullying behavior appeared to be discriminatory and not a stress-
induced technique to prepare the recruit for military service.
According to the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct section
3.1 (Unfair Discrimination), psychologists do not engage in discriminatory actions
during work-related activities. a By remaining silent on my observations, I may be
condoning the possible discriminatory behavior I observed. a Section 3.4a and 3.4b
(Avoiding Harm) also require a psychologist to avoid foreseeable harm to
research participants and avoid participating in degrading behavior toward the
research participant. a This side of the dilemma appears to be straightforward;
however, the other side of the coin may not be as clear.
If I report the staff members that I observed, I may cause a high level of reactivity,
which may transfer to recruits, thereby jeopardizing my research. a I possibly
observed most static behaviors in recruits, but I still have a significant portion of
action items on my checklist (Jackson, 2018). a I believe my research will end
without completing my checklist, and I am concerned my ethical duty is directly
conflicted with my commitment to conduct this research.
Based on my ethical duty, I propose discussing my observations with the
Commandant and allowing the military academy to resolve the issue between the
recruit and staff members. a This action may jeopardize my research but appears
to be aligned with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. a
Another option may be to talk to the staff members and request they accompany
me to the Commandant to explain their side of the story. I may reduce reactivity
by confronting the staff members and allowing them to participate in the
disclosure—this action may also compromise my research.
I appreciate your consideration of my dilemma, and I await your guidance before I
take action.
Jackson. a (2018). a Custom MindTap Reader, Instant Access for Jackson, Research
Methods and Statistics, 5th edition
