Why Does It Hurt So Much When We Get Shocked?

As a social researcher, if I witness something inappropriate happening such as a parent hitting a child or a children’s home neglecting a child, I will be compelled to report to the relevant authorities. In this case, I will report to police officers so that they take the necessary action to bring the people involved to justice, and to deter more harm from happening. I believe that such inappropriate events raise ethical questions, just like the teacher-learner experiment example provided in the Schutt (2019) book. In this example, the teacher presses a switch when the learner gives a wrong answer, and learner receives an electric shock. The intensity of the shock increases as the learner gives wrong answers, and learner experiences painful shocks. In this example, the teacher is supposed to abandon the experiment because it raises a lot of ethical questions. Similarly, as a social researcher, I will be expected to be responsible enough and report unethical issues that happen while involved in social research. Therefore, it is not good practice to watch inappropriate things happen and assume them just because one is conducting social research and does not want to ruin the research. If some of the bad events are not reported, the victims can be harmed severely, and it will be our fault for not doing something to prevent them. Since the objective of social research is to identify some of such issues, and develop strategies to solve them, social researchers should always report to the relevant authorities when they notice any undesirable events happening. 

Reference 

Schutt, R. K. (2019).  Investigating the social world: The process and practice of research . Sage publications.