Ethical implications Flashcards
What are ethical guidelines used for ?
- protect those involved in the research
- e.g. participants
What are ethical implications ?
- how research can impact pm individuals beyond the study
What are examples of ethical implications ?
- misinterpretation through the media
- influence on the represented groups of people
- influence on public policy
What is social sensitivity ?
- some research is controversial and therefore socially sensitive
- e.g. Bowlby’s theory
What did Sieber and Stanley say about social sensitivity ?
Studies have ‘consequences and implications’ for both the participant and those represented
What is an example of socially sensitive research and the implications ?
- studies of depression
- individual participants personal information could be accessed by a prospective employer
- findings could suggest to an employer that there is never a full recovery
- findings could affect social policy as it could inform preferred treatment by the NHS
Should psychologists still carry out potentially sensitive research ?
Aronson:
- psychologists shouldn’t be afraid of studying sensitive topics
- psychologists have a responsibility to carry out sensitive research
What are the factors that should be considered when conducting socially sensitive research ?
- cost vs benefit
- awareness of researcher bias
- culture bias
- gender bias
- validity
- awareness of misuse of research (negative implications) - media or public policy
What are the strengths of socially sensitive research ?
Positive implications on society:
- Can have benefits for the group being researched
- e.g. homosexuality was listed as a sociopathic disorder in the 50’s but was removed as in 1973
- The change in attitude was due to the Kinsey report which found homosexuality was a typical expression
- Therefore research helped break down social barriers and gave people freedom
Real world application
- policy makers rely on research from sensitive research
- government use research to update polices associated with health and education
- in the UK there are institutions such as the office for national statistics which is information used in research
- this means that the psychologists need to understand how their research can largely impact society through government issues
What is a limitation of socially sensitive research ?
Negative implications on society
- Research into the genetic ‘criminal gene’
- Could show that incorrect punishment could be given to people with the gene even if they have done nothing wrong
- Or people could be excused from punishment ‘as they can’t help it’ due to having the gene
- Shows that there is need for understanding of potential negative effects of researching important issues
Historical impacts
- Studying socially sensitive issues mean that overtime their has been a large amounts of impact
- Burt had research about IQ which led to policy creating the 11+ tests
- This research was found to be invalid but the impact still remains as their are still Grammar schools
How do you deal with participants in a socially sensitive case ?
- informed consent
- confidentiality
- psychological harm
- Need to be aware of all these issues and make sure that participants are fully aware of the research they are getting involved in
How can sensitive research be dealt with ?
- researchers should weigh up the costs (short term and impacts on participants) vs the benefits (long-term on participants and the wider society) - should only proceed to publish when the benefits outweigh the costs
- Researchers need to be reflexive - aware of own bias - when conducting sensitive research
