In the context of the Stanford Prison Experiment, what was a major ethical oversight committed by the lead researcher?

• A. He did not collect any quantitative data during the study.
• B. He ensured that all participants were fully aware of the study's true purpose before it began.
• C. He provided participants with detailed instructions on how to behave.
• D. He failed to intervene and stop the experiment when participants showed signs of severe distress.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of the Stanford Prison Experiment, which involved participants assigned roles as guards and prisoners in a simulated prison environment.
2. Recognize that ethical oversight in psychological research involves protecting participants from harm, ensuring informed consent, and the right to withdraw without penalty.
3. Identify that a major ethical issue in this experiment was the lead researcher's failure to stop the study when participants experienced severe psychological distress.
4. Note that this failure to intervene violated ethical principles such as beneficence (doing no harm) and respect for persons (protecting participants' well-being).
5. Conclude that the ethical oversight was not about data collection or instructions, but about the researcher's responsibility to protect participants from harm during the study.