Ethical Considerations in Sleep Deprivation Research

Imagine you are a researcher conducting a study on the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance among college students. In your experimental design, you plan to randomly assign participants to either a sleep-deprivation condition, where they will receive only 4 hours of sleep, or a control condition, where they will have a standard 8 hours of rest. Your study aims to gather data on participants' performance on cognitive tasks such as memory, attention, and problem-solving.

However, given the potential risks associated with sleep deprivation, such as its effects on mental health and overall well-being, it is crucial to consider the ethical implications of this research design.

In a well-organized essay, evaluate the ethical considerations related to your proposed research study. Discuss specific ethical guidelines that apply, potential risks to participants, how you would mitigate these risks, and the importance of acquiring informed consent. Make sure to reference psychological research ethics standards.