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Hi This bounced yesterday for too many posts ... Is FaceBook subject to those current human subjects protections? All kinds = of entities attempt to change people's attitudes, behaviours, and even mood= s (e.g., making you dissatisfied with your current condition), but are not = subject to the same restrictions as researchers. And I'm sure some (many in= these days of e-connections and big data?) try to evaluate the effectivene= ss of their efforts (i.e., conduct research?). I'm equally sure no one is r= equiring post-study feedback and opportunity to delete their automatically = collected data. Isn't this reality part of the criticism of the current reg= ulations on research by academics? Ignoring FB, the commercial entity, and its employee (lead researcher?), I = think the researchers in this study who may be in trouble are the two with = academic appointments. Have they violated terms of their academic appointme= nts? Perhaps also worth noting that this is not FB's first large scale study. He= re's link to one published last fall in Nature with 61 million participants= . I don't have full access right now, so don't know details. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v489/n7415/full/nature11421.html Take care Jim > -----Original Message----- > From: Miguel Roig [mailto:ro...@stjohns.edu] > Sent: July-07-14 12:37 AM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Subject: RE:[tips] Facebook Emotional Contagion Article >=20 > Jim, I think Dave Epstein's points address your concerns. Hindsight=20 > issues aside and given the human subjects protections climate in which=20 > social science currently operates I'd say that the standard practice=20 > should have been as > follows: If after carrying out a risks/benefits analysis it is=20 > concluded that informed consent is not feasible, the investigators=20 > should have fully debriefed their subjects AND allowed them the opportuni= ty to have their data withdrawn. > Given that the study was carried out within the auspices of FB, which=20 > employs legions of top-notch programmers, it seems to me that both of=20 > the above steps could have been easily carried out, not to mention=20 > that they could also have easily excluded minors who cannot legally=20 > consent. My sense is that any half- decent IRB examining this study's=20 > protocol would have at least insisted on the above steps, none of which, = in my view, would have jeopardized the findings. >=20 > Miguel > ________________________________________ > From: Jim Clark [j.cl...@uwinnipeg.ca] > Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 3:11 PM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Subject: RE:[tips] Facebook Emotional Contagion Article >=20 > Hi >=20 > The researchers did not eliminate all positive or all negative=20 > messages. They reduced them moderately (10%?). >=20 > If FB messages function as Miguel proposes, is it not important to=20 > understand that effect and its magnitude? Indeed that was the=20 > motivation for the researchers. >=20 > If this study was required to be vetted by an ethics committee, would=20 > it not be acceptable for several reasons. Is the manipulation not=20 > within the realm of normal risk in everyday life? That is, one could=20 > go onto FB and receive randomly variation in the number of positive=20 > and negative messages. Also, the study could not be done with full=20 > informed consent or at least I would expect being informed about the mani= pulation would plausibly influence the results. >=20 > I think also that there are interesting preventative options resulting=20 > from such research. For example, FB could provide users with a=20 > mechanism to filter out negative messages, allowing people to control=20 > part of their emotional environment. >=20 > And Miguel's concern is somewhat inconsistent with all the comments=20 > about tiny effect sizes, and I think more realistic about the=20 > importance of such effects when huge numbers of people are involved. >=20 > Finally, we all expose large numbers of students to material that is=20 > potentially distressing to some fraction of the population (e.g.,=20 > descriptions of trauma- associated reactions in people). But I=20 > suspect that we are not generally sympathetic to the idea of "trigger=20 > warnings" (akin to informed consent?) before exposure to the material. >=20 > I'm not sure whether this message qualifies as laden with positivity=20 > or negativity ... perhaps varies across readers? >=20 > Take care > Jim >=20 > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Miguel Roig [mailto:ro...@stjohns.edu] > > Sent: July-06-14 2:48 PM > > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > > Subject: RE:[tips] Facebook Emotional Contagion Article > > > > I also hope that they will come clean and clarify all of these=20 > > issues publicly. As has been pointed out elsewhere, given the size=20 > > of their sample it was likely that several individuals suffering=20 > > from depression, including minors, were included in the sample.=20 > > Imagine one day, waking up depressed, opening FB in the hope of=20 > > lifting your spirits by seeing your friends' posts, but instead=20 > > being bombarded only by emotionally negative messages. No consent,=20 > > no opting out, no > debriefing. Hello!!! > > > > Miguel > > > > ________________________________________ > > From: Stuart McKelvie [smcke...@ubishops.ca] > > Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 7:26 AM > > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > > Subject: RE:[tips] Facebook Emotional Contagion Article > > > > Dear Miguel, > > > > Your point is well-taken. Nevertheless, I hope that they will=20 > > respond in some manner - either personally or to a discussion forum. > > > > Sincerely, > > > > Stuart > > > > ______________________________ > > "Recti Cultus Pectora Roborant" > > > > Stuart J. McKelvie, Ph.D., > > Department of Psychology, > > Bishop's University, > > 2600 rue College, > > Sherbrooke (Borough of Lennoxville), QC J1M 1Z7, Canada. > > (819)822-9600X2402 > > > > "Floreat Labore" > > ______________________________ > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Miguel Roig [mailto:ro...@stjohns.edu] > > Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2014 7:14 AM > > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > > Subject: RE:[tips] Facebook Emotional Contagion Article > > > > Stuart, I am not surprised by the author's failure to respond, for=20 > > they must be inundated by hundreds of email requests for=20 > > clarification, comment, etc. Note that there has already been an=20 > > 'Expression of Concern' on the part of PNAS, > http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/07/02/1412469111.full.pdf+html. > > You may be interested in checking out this Washington Post article > > (http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning- > > mix/wp/2014/07/01/facebooks-emotional-manipulation-study-was-even- > > worse-than-you-thought/?tid=3Dhp_mm) which raises questions about the=20 > > alteration, after the study was published, of the 'terms of agreement' > > that FB users must sign when they join the service to allow FB's to=20 > > use users' data for 'research' purposes. Someone from another list=20 > > posted a document alleged to be the terms of agreement policy pre-=20 > > and > > post- study, https://fbcdn-dragon- > > a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t39.2178- > > 6/851577_359286377517112_2039494561_n.pdf. > > > > In spite of the seriousness of their apparent lapse in judgement and=20 > > under the assumption that their motives were primarily scientific, I=20 > > am starting to feel sorry for these authors. > > > > Miguel > > ________________________________________ > > From: Stuart McKelvie [smcke...@ubishops.ca] > > Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2014 10:03 PM > > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > > Subject: RE:[tips] Facebook Emotional Contagion Article > > > > Dear Tipsters, > > > > I wrote directly to the author asking about informed consent. > > > > No reply. > > > > Stuart > > > > ______________________________ > > "Recti Cultus Pectora Roborant" > > > > Stuart J. McKelvie, Ph.D., > > Department of Psychology, > > Bishop's University, > > 2600 rue College, > > Sherbrooke (Borough of Lennoxville), QC J1M 1Z7, Canada. > > (819)822-9600X2402 > > > > "Floreat Labore" > > ______________________________ > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Wuensch, Karl L [mailto:wuens...@ecu.edu] > > Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2014 10:01 PM > > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > > Subject: [tips] Facebook Emotional Contagion Article > > > > The article is a good example of why effect size estimates=20 > > are much more informative than are p values. Put confidence=20 > > intervals about the effect size estimates and it becomes clear that=20 > > the experimental manipulations had effects so tiny that they might as w= ell be nil. > > > > http://www.pnas.org/content/111/24/8788.full.pdf > > > > Cheers, > > > > Karl L. Wuensch > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Christopher Green [mailto:chri...@yorku.ca] > > Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2014 9:19 AM > > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > > Subject: [tips] Facebook tinkered with users' feeds for a massive=20 > > psychology experiment * Newswire * The A.V. Club > > > > Facebook just rendered either IRBs or all of academic psychology=20 > > utterly obsolete. > > http://www.avclub.com/article/facebook-tinkered-users-feeds-massive- > > psychology-e-206324 > > > > Chris > > ....... > > Christopher D Green > > Department of Psychology > > York University > > Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 > > > > chri...@yorku.ca > > http://www.yorku.ca/christo > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: wuens...@ecu.edu. > > To unsubscribe click here: > > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=3D13060.c78b93d4d09ef6235e9d494b3534 > > 42 > > 0e > > &n=3DT&l=3Dtips&o=3D37311 > > or send a blank email to leave-37311-=20 > > 13060.c78b93d4d09ef6235e9d494b35344...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: smcke...@ubishops.ca. > > To unsubscribe click here: > > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=3D13510.2cc18398df2e6692fffc29a610cb > > 72 > > e3&n > > =3DT&l=3Dtips&o=3D37459 > > or send a blank email to leave-37459-=20 > > 13510.2cc18398df2e6692fffc29a610cb7...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: ro...@stjohns.edu. > > To unsubscribe click here: > > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=3D1632838.7e62b84813297f170a6fc240da > > b8 > > c12 > > d&n=3DT&l=3Dtips&o=3D37460 > > or send a blank email to leave-37460-=20 > > 1632838.7e62b84813297f170a6fc240dab8c...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: smcke...@ubishops.ca. > > To unsubscribe click here: > > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=3D13510.2cc18398df2e6692fffc29a610cb > > 72 > > e3&n > > =3DT&l=3Dtips&o=3D37469 > > or send a blank email to leave-37469-=20 > > 13510.2cc18398df2e6692fffc29a610cb7...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: ro...@stjohns.edu. > > To unsubscribe click here: > > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=3D1632838.7e62b84813297f170a6fc240da > > b8 > > c12 > > d&n=3DT&l=3Dtips&o=3D37471 > > or send a blank email to leave-37471-=20 > > 1632838.7e62b84813297f170a6fc240dab8c...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: j.cl...@uwinnipeg.ca. > > To unsubscribe click here: > > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=3D13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a8917 > > 20 > > c9& > > n=3DT&l=3Dtips&o=3D37474 > > or send a blank email to leave-37474-=20 > > 13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a89172...@fsulist.frostburg.edu >=20 > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: ro...@stjohns.edu. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=3D1632838.7e62b84813297f170a6fc240dab8 > c12 > d&n=3DT&l=3Dtips&o=3D37479 > or send a blank email to leave-37479- > 1632838.7e62b84813297f170a6fc240dab8c...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: j.cl...@uwinnipeg.ca. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=3D13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a891720 > c9& > n=3DT&l=3Dtips&o=3D37481 > or send a blank email to leave-37481- > 13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a89172...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: arch...@jab.org. 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