Final answer:
The ASA developed a detailed set of ethical principles to protect research participants from potential harm, maintain ethical standards, and uphold human rights. Studies involving deception, obedience, or sensitive topics could be harmful, and researchers may feel tempted to cross ethical boundaries due to various pressures. The ethical guidelines serve to prevent such violations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The American Sociological Association (ASA) crafted a detailed set of ethical principles to ensure the protection of human participants in sociological research. These guidelines help to prevent physical and psychological harm that could occur during studies, such as in the case of sensitive topics where the confidentiality of participants is crucial or experiments that may affect the well-being of individuals.
Types of studies that could put human participants at risk include experiments on obedience that might compel participants to act against their conscience, studies involving deception where informed consent is obscured, or research into criminal behavior that might expose participants to legal consequences or retaliation.
There is a concern that some researchers, in pursuit of sociological knowledge, might be tempted to cross ethical boundaries. This could be due to a desire for groundbreaking findings or under the pressure of funding requirements. However, the implementation of strict ethical guidelines is intended to discourage such breaches and ensure that human rights are upheld in sociological research.