SOCL 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Stanford Prison Experiment, Longitudinal Study, Informed Consent
6 Jun 2018
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Causality vs. Correlation
● Causality → change in A causes change in B
● Requires 4 things
○ Co-variation (if X, then Y)
○ Association must be plausible
○ Temporal order must be clear
○ Eliminate rival hypotheses
Unequal Exposures
● Cannot establish causal relationship between toxins and minority groups
Minority Move-In Hypothesis
● Low income communities targeted with pollution
● Or Minority Move-In hypothesis
● Longitudinal study examined siting of toxic storage and disposal facilities in LA from
1970-1990
Minority Study in LA
● TSDFs more likely in
○ High proportion of minorities
○ Low proportion of homeowners
○ Significant ethnic churning (turnover)
Minority Move-In Study (Michigan)
● Examined siting of TSDFs in MI but over 50 year period
● Targeting escalated after 1970
○ Rising public concerns about environment
○ White neighborhoods better at fighting stuff
Why is this Important? Policy Ramifications
● EJ (environmental justice) Hypothesis
○ Stronger zoning and permitting to eliminate discrimination
● Minority Move-In Hypothesis
○ Ensure info about health risks
○ Work to discourage steering
Ethics in Social Science Research
● Do no harm
○ Researchers must guard against causing physical, emotional, or psychological
harm to their subjects
● Be professional
○ Meat codified standards, which are set by professional associations, academic
institutions, or research centers when conducting studies
● Respect your research subjects
○ Informed consent and voluntary participation are guidelines researchers use to
ensure subjects know they are participating in a study and have voluntarily
chosen to participate
Stanford Prison Experiment
● You know the deal
● Zimbardo
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