A health psychologist plans to conduct a study into alcohol use with adolescents in a country where the legal drinking age is 18.She plans to collect a sample of around 40 people under the age of 18 (20 male and 20 female)from a local youth organization and conduct face-to-face interviews and administer questionnaires that measure alcohol consumption, personality, and well-being and she also plans to secretly observe whether the young people accept alcoholic drinks at the end-of-year function organized by the youth organization.Which of the following statements is true?
A)The study is ethically appropriate so long as it has been reviewed by the ethics committee.
B)The study is unethical because the sample size is too small.
C)Sample size is an irrelevant (statistical)consideration when it comes to ethics.
D)Sample size may be a relevant consideration in ethics if the sample is too small to provide useful information.
E)None of the above.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sample size may be a relevant consideration in ethics if the sample is too small to provide useful information. In this case, 40 participants may be too small to draw conclusions about the population of adolescents as a whole. However, the study may still be ethical if other ethical considerations have been taken into account and the potential benefits outweigh the risks. It is important that the study has been reviewed and approved by an ethics committee to ensure that risks have been minimized and participants' rights have been respected.

A Health Psychologist Plans to Conduct a Study into Alcohol