Mind of A Con-Man Reading

1. Who is Diedrik Stapel? What was he accused of doing and ultimately found
guilty of? (3-5 sentences)
Diedrik Stapel was a professor and Ph.D. student of University
of Amsterdam. He was formerly a psychologist at Tillburg University.
Stapel became dean of university's School of Social & Behavioral
Sciences in 2010, and was formerly considered an author of wellregarded studies on human attitudes & behavior. Diedrik Stapel was
accused of committing research fraud, and he was found guilty of
committing fraud in at least 55 of his papers and in 10 Ph.D.
dissertations written by his students.
2. How was Stapel able to get away with what he was doing for so long? (3-5
sentences)
Stapel forged experiment data results by fabricating "random"
data scores to give him the results he wanted for each study he
claimed to have conducted. Stapel's prestige prevented many
colleagues from acting on their suspicions of fraud on his part. The
fear of calling out Stapel's fraud and the consequent effects on the
whistle-blower's academic career also kept many of his colleagues
quiet. His confidence and ad-libbing prevented further wariness of
his research studies' credibility.
3.In your opinion, did Stapel violate any ethical issues? Why or why not? (3-5
sentences)
It is highly unlikely that Stapel violated any ethical principles
dealing with participants other than himself. The lack of actual,
various participants in Stapel's studies and his fraudulent research
conduct prevents any of his work from qualifying as beneficial.
Stapel's sole participation in his own research studies assuredly
violated the ethical principle of increasing the benefits of the study
for society as a whole.
4. Were there harms posed by Stapels actions? Why or why not? If so, to
whom? (3-5 sentences)
Stapel's fraudulent research studies have definitely put his
collaborating colleague's academic careers on the line. Students who
depended upon Stapel to gather date for their Ph.D. disseration
have had their doctorates placed in jeopardy as a result. Stapel's
academic dishonesty also shows how easily the research field can be
compromised. Various instances of research fraud, including
Stapel's, can rend apart the credibility of programs that are
facilitated on a foundation of research studies.