Sunday, 15 March 2009

AEP Lecture Preparation 1.

In her summary and comments in "Evil and the law from Economist" on a recent article about the war crimes trial currently underway across the border in Phnom Penh, Soojin also relates it to a very thought provoking comment about the events in Germany under Hitler during the Second World War: 
In German, at that time, there were thousands of camp everywhere, and everyone know about the camp and truth. I don't know much about the Cambodian case of the article, but I think, like German, if we inquire into the hidden circumstances that led up to the case, I think it is not only tortur's sin (Soojin, 2009, ¶ 2).
Some possible questions to respond to in a comment below: 
  • What do you think about this? 
  • Who was responsible for the crimes? 
  • Who were all the people working at all those camps in Germany and Cambodia to murder millions of their fellow citizens? 
  • Could the same thing happen in your country? 
  • Has the same thing ever happened in your country? 

I was thrilled when I read Soojin's post, because it fits in perfectly with the AEP lecture everyone will be attending on Tuesday, March 17. The lecture is being given by Stuart, the AEP supervisor, who has prepared some pre-lecture questions to get us thinking about his topic. In his hand out, Stuart first describes a couple of situations, and asks some questions about them:
1.  At a hospital in America in 1966 researchers carried out an experiment on a group of nurses. The scientists placed bottles of drugs on hospital wards which clearly stated that the total amount of drug that could be given to patients in any one day was 100mg – above that amount could be fatal to the patient. The researchers then telephoned 22 nurses while they were on duty, telling them they were doctors, and asked them to administer 200mg of the drug to patients, and that they would sign the drugs chart when they came in to the hospital. 
Question 1: If you were a nurse what would you have done?
Question 2: Out of 22 nurses, how many do you think gave the full dose of the drug?

2.  Imagine you are the manager of a McDonald’s restaurant. You are responsible for security in the restaurant. You are working late one evening when you receive a ‘phone call from a man who says his name is Bob Monroe and that he is a police officer. He says that one of your staff is suspected of stealing and that you should search the person immediately. He says that you can get the staff member to strip naked in the search and that it is OK for you to conduct a full body search. He says he will stay on the line throughout the search.
Question:  What would you do? Would you go ahead and search your employee? Explain your answer to the class [in a commented posted below]. (McMullen, 2009)

Share your response to one or two, or all, of Stuart's questions in a comment. 

If you like, you can post more than one comment. And you can come back later and post another comment to respond to a classmate's ideas. 
__________
References
McMullen, S. (2009, March). AEP Lecture – Social Psychology Experiments. (Class handout and available from author.)
Soojin. (2009, March 14). Evil and the law from Economist. On AEP at AUA - Peter's Classes. Retrieved on March 15, 2009 from http://peteraep.blogspot.com/2009/03/evil-and-law-from-economist.html

9 comments:

  1. I'm not sure if it's neccessary to think about, but I cannot get rid of it; that is the environment. I imagine if I were a worker at a camp, or I were a nurse, or I were a shop stuff at McDonald’s restaurant, but the thing that comes first is the environment. I mean even if I'm a 100% innocent guy, if something(or somebody) forces me to do, or just lead me to do like making me think I have to do, I'll do it. Then should I be accused? I hope not... I haven't got any answer for the question that who should be responsible for that.. As I commentted to Soojin's post, doring the war, we had the same situation as German or Cambodian genocide. I wasn't there of course, so I just know by reading books. And I imagine how they were forced to kill people because if my family were there, my father would kill somebody, even I would. It's not like a reserch, just my emotion though...

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  2. Thanks, Peter. I'm so glad to hear that your lecture coincide with my posting. Actually, after I watched a movie, The Reader(2008), about two weeks ago, I was shocked and wonder what is justice, who has a resposible of the war. In the past, I used to think that the Nazis is just bad and the history must not happen again, but the movie gave many questions to me and broke all my thought. Korea also has a sad history related to Japanese Imperalism for 45 years.(In fact, this history is very sensitive between Korea and Japan. I hesitate to mention about it in this blog, but inevitably I have to say so, relating the topic.) Many Korean were killed without reasons and women should prostitute. Though the war ended about 60 years ago, still some victims alive and the hurt doesn't disapear. However, I doubt that it can't achieve justice completely, if we capture some tortoures and give a heavy sentence.

    Lastly, I answer the number one question in Peter's posting. Actually, I've read the interesting research in a book. I can't remember the book's name, but maybe it was related to psychology. If I remember well, except one nurse, all nurses obeyed the commend. I was also shocked at that time I read. Isn't it shocking that humans can easily obey some absurd orders?

    Again, I'm so delighted that my latest questions will be dealt with the lecture. I would like to listen another students' opinion and I'm very looking forward to Peter's lecture~

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  3. Actually, it's not somple question, because it is related with my sense of morality. Sometimes, I have to some actions, even though I disagree with that in my mind, but circumstances push me to obey that. Further more, I am, very often, confused which is right or wrong, because I alredy am used be in that situation, or my educated backgroun aloow to do that.
    Any way, for the first question, if I were a nurse, I would not obey that order, because the order is unusal. However, in tat case, I mivh to face being fired, or I might have to fight against hopital.

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  4. If I'm a nurse I'll not give to the patients 200mg, because I'll not do what I've known that's wrong. I'll call back to the doctor to confirm again the information. If he still affirms that, I'll record the calling and go to another doctor for asking.
    In the second case, I never believe in the stranger especially he's talking on the phone. I'll do nothing, but I'll care about my staff later.
    I'm not really clear about Soojin.

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  5. In the second example, I should doubt if the information is true or not at first. Of course I wouldn’t want to search my employees. But if a police officer urges me to do in strong terms, I would change my belief. If I worry about my safety, I might have no choice but to do as he demands without thinking what happens after that. I mean, I can’t afford to think about the possibility that I would be a criminal or not.

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  6. 1. If I were a nurse, I would give the drugs at the limit on diary used and I’m sure the other 22 nurses will dose the same as me because it’s illegal to give excess of drug that the doctors won’t sign before given drug to the patients.
    2. If I were a manager of a McDonald’s restaurant. I’ll not search any staff in my defense. If he is a real police officer, he’ll know the rule and how to search the suspect person. Not just calling some one and tell them I’m a police officer and your staff is suspected that you can search them by strip naked. It is impossible. I can’t believe it.

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  7. This is a problems my be happen everywhere. If I am a nurse, I will not give the drugs 200 mg with patients, and I will ask the doctor for dose ,if not certain may be ask pharmacist again for make sure. it’s very illegal to give much drug to the patients. Because make the patients fatal deadly.
    If I am manager of a McDonald restaurant. I don’t believe if he is a real police officer, he must to come to restaurant for show document about his warrant of search. He shouldn’t calling and tell from telephone.

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  8. They are many problem like this in the hospital.The principle is the nurse have to back consult with the doctor again to confirm that because they know that dose may be kill the patient.If the doctor affirm that dose,the nurse much ask pharmacist for counsel.The phamacist will suggest and solve this problem.

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  9. First,If I am a nurse, I wont give the drugs 200 mg to patients because it's full dose that wil make pateints dead.it’s very illegal to give much drugs to the patients.
    Second,If I am the manager of a McDonald’s restaurant,I wont believe this line before I proof it.The manager should have reason and leadership for staff member.

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