ethical implications

Question 1

AO1: what is ethical implications and social sensitivity

Answer 1

Ethical implications is the impact that research has on society, how it influences public policy and/or the way in which certain groups of people are seen. Social sensitivity is studies in which there are potential consequences or implications, either for the participant in the research or specific groups.

Question 2

AO1: Sieber and Stanleys 4 concerns when conducting socially sensitive research

Answer 2

Research Question: The researcher must consider their research question carefully and ensure it is not damaging to certain groups.

Methodology Used: The researcher needs to consider the treatment of the participant’s and their right to confidentiality and anonymity.

Institutional Context: The researcher should be mindful of how the data is going to be used and consider who is funding the research.

Application of Findings: the researcher needs to consider how their findings might be interpreted and applied in the real-world.

Question 3

AO3: one issue is that it can lead to issues of discrimination

However, it could have benefits for the group being studied.

Answer 3

P: one issue with socially sensitive research is that it can lead to issues of discrimination and therefore psychologists would argue against conducting this form of research
E: Yerkes research into IQ scores argued that Black Americans had lower IQ than White Americans.
E: this led to over 64,000 individuals being forcibly sterilised.
L: this highlights a serious issue with socially sensitive research whereby flawed research findings and research not done in a carefully considered way are used to legitimise discrimination.

HOWEVER,
P: socially sensitive research could have benefits for the group being studied.
E: for example when homosexuality was studied it was found thatit was a typical expression of human sexual behaviour.
E: this meant homosexuality was taken of the list of ‘sociopathic personality disorders’

Question 4

AO3: one issue is that psychologists are avoiding conducting socially sensitive research because of its ethical implications

Answer 4

P: one issue is that psychologists are avoiding conducting socially sensitive research because of its ethical implications
E/E: the American psychological association reported that ethics committees approved 95% of non-sensitive proposals whereas ‘sensitive’ proposals were only approved 50% of the time.
L: this means researchers are unlikely to submit sensitive research proposals in the first place if there are significant risk of them not being approved. As well as some topics in psychology are likely to become even more ‘taboo’ if they remain under investigation
HOWEVER, Sieber and Stanley advise that ignoring such topics is not a responsible approach. Instead of avoiding research, researchers could take a more qualitative approach, making sure they are upfront about their own biases and are reflexive in their approach (reflect on how their own personal beliefs affect the research process)

Question 5

AO3: one issue us that poor research design may lead to incorrect findings which, once in the public arena, continue to have an impact

Answer 5

P: one issue us that poor research design may lead to incorrect findings which, once in the public arena, continue to have an impact
E: e.g. Burt’s twin studies concluding that intelligence was highly heritable and could be detected at the age of 11, this led to the 11+ test which determines if a child goes to a grammar or state secondary school.
E: Burt’s ideas where then found out to be fake, but the 11+ is still used based off the idea that genetic potential has revealed itself by this age.
L: this highlights how important it is that research into socially sensitive topics needs to be planned with great care to ensure the findings are valid because the lasting effects on particular groups of people

Question 6

AO3: socially sensitive research has real life application (policymakers)

Answer 6

P: socially sensitive research has real life application (policymakers)
E/E: The government looks to research when developing important social policies, for example regarding childcare, mental health and education. It is preferable to base these policies on scientific research rather than politically motivated views.
L: this means that psychologists have an important role in providing high quality research on socially sensitive topics.