Ethical Implications Flashcards
What are ethical implications?
-ethical issues may arise when conflict between need to gain valid + valuable research findings whilst preserving rights + dignity of participants.
-guidelines were established to help protects those involved in research.
-social impact can also be difficult - researchers may not have much to say in terms of how their research findings are represented, how it may impact their work on public policy and how it may influence our perception of particular groups.
What is socially sensitive research?
-according to Sieber + Stanley these are studies with potential social consequences either directly for participants in research or of individuals represented.
-some areas are likely to be more controversial than others e.g. research into genetic basis of criminality.
-taboo topics such as race, sexuality, gender etc also attract attention from media + public.
-should not lead psychologists to shy away from socially sensitive research.
Which 4 aspects did Sieber + Stanley identify in research process that raise ethical implications in socially sensitive research?
- Research Question - must consider carefully whether it may be damaging to members of a particular group.
- Methodology Used - needs to consider treatment of participants + their right to confidentiality + anonymity.
- Institutional Context/Research Intention - researcher should be mindful of how data will be used + consider who is funding.
- Interpretation + Application of Findings - how their findings might be interpreted + applied in real world.
What is the concern with implications + what is an example?
-wider effects of research should be considered, may be seen as giving scientific credence to prejudice + discrimination, may be difficult to predict at the outset.
e.g. race + IQ - Goddard issued tests to immigrants as arrived in US, claimed findings demonstrated how majority of Russians + Jews were ‘feeble-minded’, many of tests required understanding English.
What is the concern with uses/public policy and what is an example?
-researcher must be clear on how findings are to be used, if for wrong reasons e.g. adopted by govt to shape public policy then could have far-reaching ethical implications.
e.g. withdrawal of funding for educational support for disadvantaged groups:
-Hernstein + Murray used research to argue a waste of resources to improve educational opportunities for disadvantaged groups as genetically destined to be low achievers. Obvious implications if deployed by govt + education decision-makers.
What is the concern with validity of research and what is an example?
-some findings presented as objective + valid but turned out poorly controlled and sometimes fraudulent.
e.g. invalid, faulty data leading to educational reform:
Burt - est 11+ examination in UK - determined whether children had secondary or grammar school education. Based on evidence which stated intelligence was hereditary, exam would confirm ability. Discrepancies revealed he made much of it up as well as inventing 2 research assistants - discredited.
What is 1 strength of ethical implications?
Benefits of socially sensitive research:
-Despite ethical implications, Scarr argues studies of underrepresented groups + issues promote greater sensitivity + understanding of these - can help reduce prejudice + encourage acceptance.
-Research into unreliability of EWT reduced risk of miscarriages of justice in legal system.
Suggests socially sensitive research may play valuable role in society.
What are 2 limitations of ethical implications?
Findings from socially sensitive research can be used to manipulate public:
-used by govt + other institutions to shape social policy despite nature of findings and full consideration of effects of factors such as environment on characteristics such as intelligence.
e.g. 1950s research into persuasive effects of subliminal messages used by marketing companies to advertise products, 1 claimed sales of coke + popcorn went up when images of them flashed up on cinema screens too quickly for audiences to be aware of them - later revealed Packard made these findings up.
Research that seeks to manipulate public has obvious implications, raises issue of who benefits - researcher or those researched?
Current guidelines need updating:
-Guidelines may protect immediate needs of participants but may not deal with all possible ways research may inflict harm.
-e.g. present guidelines don’t ask researchers to confide how research may be used by others, as recommended by Sieber + Stanley.
Considerations outlines long ago still haven’t been adopted regularly into professional practice.
What is a solution for ethical implications?
Psychologists should engage with the public and with policy-makers:
-socially sensitive research has imp role in psychology. To reduce likelihood of misuse of data they should be energetic to take responsibility for what happens with findings.
-should be aware of possibility that results may lead to abuse + discrimination.
-BPS has a press centre which aims to promote evidence based psychological research to media, but really a matter for individual researchers to see as part of process to promote in a socially sensitive way.
This approach would help to remedy some of problems with socially sensitive research, whilst still preserving as a crucial tool for understanding human behaviour.
