Ethical Implications

Question 1

what are ethical guidelines?

Answer 1

set of principles set out by the BPS to help psychologists behave honestly and with integrity.

include protecting participants from harm, ensuring that they’ve given informed consent, reminding them of their right to withdraw.

Question 2

what are ethical issues?

Answer 2

issues that arise when there’s a conflict between the rights of the participant and the aims of the researcher.

they arise when researchers broken one or more of the ethical guidelines.

Question 3

what are ethical implications?

Answer 3

-involve research being considered in a wider context
(how might the findings of a study affect a wider group of ppl that didn’t take part in the study?)

-they consider impact or consequences that psychological research has on the rights of other ppl in wider context, not just participants.

-implications can be +ve or -ve

Question 4

ethical implications + Milgrams study - negatives

Answer 4

• Milgrams research - do the ends justify the means?
  -participants were deceived + unable to give fully informed consent.
  -experiment also caused distress, participants coerced against their will.

Question 5

ethical implications + Milgrams study - positives

Answer 5

-participants were debriefed after the experiment + a follow up interview took place a year later. (outcome suggested participants suffered no long-term effects)

-research showed Germans weren’t different so might of helped change perception of those who followed Hitler as “evil”

• +ve ethical implications as it has been useful in reducing -ve labels attached to a nation.

Question 6

ethical implications - bowlbys theory

Answer 6

-not ethical issues with the theory itself.

-suggests children form one special attachment bond, usually with mother, which must take place within a critical period

suggested this attachment bond affects their future relationship through an internal working model.

Question 7

what did Bowlbys theory contribute to?

Answer 7

-contributed to the development of child care practices
-but its also encouraged the view that mothers place is at home w her children. (feel guilty)

Question 8

what is social sensitivity?

Answer 8

describes studies where there are potential social consequences for participants, or group of ppl represented.

Question 9

Milgrams Obedience Study + social sensitivity

Answer 9

-findings of the study could be used to make ppl obey orders that they don’t want to follow
-could have severe ethical implications

Question 10

Bowlbys Monotropic Theory + social sensitivity

Answer 10

-could be used to make mothers stay at home out of guilt and fear of being judged by others.

Question 11

Sieber + Stanley (1998)

Answer 11

identified 4 aspects in scientific research process that raise ethical implications in socially sensitive research.
points should be considered.

Question 12

what are Sieber + Stanley 4 aspects?

Answer 12

1. The Research Question
   2.The Methodology Used
   3.The Institutional Context
   4.Interpretation and Application of Findings

Question 13

what does 1. The Research Question mean?

Answer 13

-researcher must consider their research question carefully

-asking Q’s like ‘are there racial diff in IQ?’

-may be damaging to members of a particular group.

Question 14

what does 2.The Methodology Used mean?

Answer 14

-researcher needs to consider treatment of participants and their right to confidentiality and anonymity.

-for example, if someone admits to committing a crime should researcher maintain confidentiality?

Question 15

what does 3.The Institutional Context mean?

Answer 15

-researcher should be mindful of how the data is going to be used + consider who is funding the research.

-if research funded by private institution, why are they funding? what do they intent to do with the research?

Question 16

what does 4.Interpretation and Application of Findings mean?

Answer 16

-researcher needs to consider how their findings might be interpreted and applied in real world.

-could data +results be used to inform policy? could research be seen as giving ‘scientific’ credence to prejudice and discrimination? what happens if research used for wrong purpose?

Question 17

Cyril Burt

Answer 17

-used studies of identical twins to support view that intelligence largely genetic.

-his views influenced Hadow Report which led to creation of 11+ exam. (1944-1976)

-meant generations of children affected, even though there had been huge controversy whether research was falsified.

-idea that there’s a ‘natural’ level of intelligence still remains among many. shows social sensitivity ].