Laboratory experiment 12 participants locked in a laboratory for 13 weeks, subjected to nerve test challenges, with their food supply limited, not being aloud to sleep, leading to physical violence , verbal abuse and sex. If this were conducted under the facade of a psychological experiment there would be an uproar regarding its ethical issues, however under the facade of a television show these ethical and moral issues do not arise. Surely it is just as psychologically damaging to its participants as a laboratory experiment even with its glamorous appearance and huge prize money? From a viewers perspective, this was a lot of fun to watch, however, when it was announced that Vanessa and Makousi were up for eviction, it was obvious that this caused Vanessa a significant amount of stress as her housemates proceeded to vote her out of the house. Ethics are vital when planning and conducting a laboratory experiment. Every possible element must be meticulously analyzed to ensure that its participants suffer as little psychological harm as possible. The British Psychological Society's Ethical Guidelines and Code of Practice are the standards used by psychologists when conducting psychological experiments. Many of these are discontinued in reality television programmes, however the worst offender is Big Brother, but as it is classified under the guise of a reality television program it can circumvent these rules to provide entertainment. [IMAGE] Every experiment should always be respectful of its participants, experimenters and if applicable, an audience. Research should not be offensive to participants and should not threaten a person's health, well-being or dignity. It's difficult to categorize offense and dignity, but Big Brother puts its participants in evidently undignified situations, such as in Big Brother 5, when contestants had to drag themselves through an assault course containing animal carcasses, tar and feathers. Another more shocking one