Professor Accused of Rules Violation

Professor of Psychology Ellen J. Langer is under investigation for allegations that she violated rules governing the use of human subjects for research, according to University officials.

Three anonymous sources confirmed in the Boston Globe last week that Harvard investigators are examining whether Langer “used or planned to use the same needles on different research subjects” in her social psychology studies.

“We take allegations regarding human subjects research conducted by members of our faculty very seriously,” said Faculty of Arts and Sciences spokesman Robert P. Mitchell in a written statement. “We are in the process of carefully investigating the circumstances here, with close attention to the interests of everyone involved.”

Reusing needles on different human subjects violates University rules that prohibit exposing humans to an “unreasonable risk of harm” in research practices.

Langer did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Langer’s research focuses on applications of her “mindfulness” theory. Mindfulness is the ability to “actively notice new things” and “live in the present,” according to her website.

It was unclear what the needles might have been used for, although a portion of Langer’s research interests—as stated on her website—include studying the effects of mindfulness on health problems like diabetes, depression, dyslexia and urinary incontinence.

The identities of the human subjects involved in the alleged misconduct were unknown. It was unclear whether any of those individuals involved might have undergone harm.

Psychology studies are popular among Harvard’s undergraduate population because of the possibility of earning course credit or money through participation. As part of her fall semester course Psychology 15, “Introduction to Social Psychology,” Langer required students to participate in at least five hours of psychology experiments, though not necessarily her own experiments.

Any study involving human subjects must be approved by the College’s Committee for the Use of Human Subjects and by the Department of Psychology Study Pool Committee. Researchers also must adhere to Department of Health and Human Services rules on the use of human subjects or the institution risks loss of research funding, depending on the severity and frequency of violations.

University policy holds laboratory or department heads responsible for reporting any “serious or continuing” violation of research policies. Numerous calls to social psychology faculty members were not returned.

Langer earned her doctorate in psychology at Yale in 1974. She taught at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York for three years prior to becoming a professor at Harvard in 1977.

Her best known experiment examined the effects of mindfulness on “learned helplessness” to illustrate that nursing home patients lived longer and healthier lives when they were given a plant to care for.

Langer has published her findings on mindfulness in 200 research articles and six academic books, according to her website. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship.

—Staff writer Javier C. Hernandez can be reached at jhernand@fas.harvard.edu.