3.92 Deceiving subjects.

A psychologist conducts the following experiment: she measures the attitude of subjects toward cheating, then has them play a game rigged so that winning without cheating is impossible. The computer that organizes the game also records— unknown to the subjects—whether or not they cheat. Then attitude toward cheating is retested.

Subjects who cheat tend to change their attitudes to find cheating more acceptable. Those who resist the temptation to cheat tend to condemn cheating more strongly on the second test of attitude. These results confirm the psychologist’s theory.

This experiment tempts subjects to cheat. The subjects are led to believe that they can cheat secretly when, in fact, they are observed. Is this experiment ethically objectionable? Explain your position.