What critical ethical concern was faced by both the Piliavin and Milgram studies?

The critical ethical concern faced by both the Piliavin and Milgram studies is the use of deception without consent. In the Milgram experiment, participants were led to believe they were partaking in a study on learning and memory, while the true purpose was to investigate obedience to authority and the extent to which individuals would go to harm another person when instructed. This deception raised significant ethical questions regarding the participants' right to be informed and to provide genuine consent.

Similarly, in the Piliavin study, which examined helping behavior in emergencies, the participants were not aware that they were part of an experiment, which again involved deception about the nature of the situation they were witnessing. The ethical implication here revolves around the need for participants to be fully aware of their involvement and the potential psychological effects of the scenarios they encountered. The use of deception without proper consent highlights a critical ethical dilemma in research design, particularly in studies involving human behavior.

Concerns regarding the lack of follow-up, the risk of public backlash, or misrepresentation of study purposes are not as directly related to the core ethical issue of deception, making this choice the most relevant in the context of both studies.