Ethical Implications

Question 1

What are ethical implications?

Answer 1

The impact of psychological research on the rights of other people in a wider context. May influence policy or the way groups are regarded

Question 2

What are ethical issues?

Answer 2

Conflict between rights of participants and the way in which researchers carry out a study

Question 3

What are ethical guidelines?

Answer 3

Created to prevent ethical issues from arising. Ethical implications usually occur after the research is done, so it’s harder to control and prevent

Question 4

Outline an example of ethical implications in attachment

Answer 4

Maternal deprivation theory suggests mothers shouldn’t be separated from their child so they can’t work.

Question 5

What is socially sensitive research?

Answer 5

• Sieber and Stanley argue SSR is studies that have potential social consequences for the participants or the group of people represented by the researchers
• e.g. may lead to negative societal opinions about that group
• So, SSR is likely to have ethical implications

Question 6

Outline the 4 aspects in the scientific research process that raise ethical implications in socially sensitive research

Answer 6

Sieber and Stanley identified these
- The research question
- Methodology
- Institutional context
- Interpretation of findings

Question 7

Describe the research question as an aspect that raises ethical implications

Answer 7

• Researcher should consider their question carefully, as it could be damaging
• Simply asking a question, e.g. are there racial differences in IQ?, may be damaging to a particular racial group as it appears to add scientific credibility to the prevailing prejudice

Question 8

Describe the methodology as an aspect that raises ethical implication

Answer 8

• Researchers should consider treatment of the participants, and their rights to confidentiality and privacy
• e.g. if a participant confesses to a crime, should confidentiality be maintained?

Question 9

Describe the institutional context as an aspect that raises ethical implication

Answer 9

• Researchers may be funded by private institutions who may misuse/misunderstand the data produced
• e.g. Research on drug therapies is funded by pharmaceutical companies who have been accused of selective publication of data. The All Trials Campaign called for all research to be made public

Question 10

Describe the interpretation of findings as an aspect that raises ethical implication

Answer 10

• Researcher needs to consider how their findings might be interpreted and applied in the real world which may be used for purposes other than the original
• The development of IQ tests by psychologists was used to show the inferiority of certain groups

Question 11

Outline the 10 ethical issues in socially sensitive research

Answer 11

Sieber and Stanley identified 10 types of ethical issues in SSR
- Privacy
- Confidentiality
- Valid methodology
- Deception
- Informed consent
- Equitable treatment
- Scientific freedom
- Ownership of data
- Values
- Risk/benefit ratio

Question 12

Describe privacy as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 12

• During an investigation, a researcher may extract more information from a participant than they intended to give
• Some research (e.g. AIDS research) may lead to social policies that are an invasion of people’s private lives (e.g. compulsory testing)

Question 13

Describe confidentiality as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 13

• Certain SSR may be specific that the participants may be easily identified (e.g. orphans from X residential home)
• Participants may be less willing to divulge information in the future if confidentiality is breached, future research will then be compromised

Question 14

Describe valid methodology as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 14

• In cases of poor methodology, and invalid findings, the public may not be aware of such issues.
• Therefore, poor studies may shape important social policies that are detriment to groups represented by the research e.g. the poor research on link between vaccinations and ASD

Question 15

Describe deception as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 15

Causing the wider public to believe something, which isn’t true by the findings, which leads to untrue stereotypes e.g. believing women are worse at maths

Question 16

Describe informed consent as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 16

• Participants should be made aware of how participating in the research may affect them
• Certain participants in SSR may not always comprehend what is involved, which questions how informed their consent is

Question 17

Describe equitable treatment as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 17

• All participants should be treated in an equitable manner
• Examples of unjust treatments are publicizing an idea that creates a prejudice against a group, and withholding a treatment which is beneficial from participants so that you can use them as a control group

Question 18

Describe scientific freedom as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 18

• Science shouldn’t be censored, but there should be some monitoring of sensitive research.
• So the researcher should weigh their responsibilities against their rights to do the research

Question 19

Describe ownership of data as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 19

If a party commissions research with their interests in mind (e.g. a political party), there would be some problems with determining ownership

Question 20

Describe values as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 20

• Different psychologists differ in their orientations towards approaches to psychological research.
• Ethical issues may arise if there’s a conflict between the values of the institution

Question 21

Describe the risk/benefit ratio as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 21

• It’s unethical if the costs outweigh the potential/actual benefits.
• However, it isn’t easy to assess costs and benefits accurately and the participants themselves rarely benefit from research

Question 22

Give evaluation for ethical implications (how does this occur?)

Answer 22

• May arise due to the inadequacy of the current ethical situation as the guidelines that aim to protect the immediate needs of participants, don’t deal with all the ways research may inflict harm on people
• e.g. current ethical guidelines don’t ask researchers to consider how their research might be used by others, as Sieber and Stanley recommended
• Suggesting that the aims of ethical guidelines haven’t permeated into professional practice, leading to ethical implications.

Question 23

Give evaluation for ethical implications (overcoming these implications)

Answer 23

• Psychologists aim to communicate with the public so research can be distributed to the public openly
• This reduces the likelihood of misuse of data, as psychologists take responsibility for their findings and if leads to discrimination or, as Sieber and Stanley suggest, offer ‘scientific credibility to the prevailing prejudice.’ This is because they’re held morally responsible by the public.
• e.g. The British Psychological Society has a press centre which aims to promote evidence-based research to the media and public.
• This shows that researchers should be supported to publicise their studies in a SS way to overcome ethical implications.

Question 24

Give evaluation for ethical implications (implications when not addressed)

Answer 24

• If ethical implications in psychology aren’t addressed there may be long-term impacts.
• e.g Burt’s research on the heritability of intelligence, found intelligence to be highly heritable and could be detected by the age of 11.
• However, it was revealed that much of it was fraudulent, including two ‘imaginary’ research assistance. Despite it being publicly discredited, the 11+ test is used in the UK
• This suggests ethical implications needs to be prevented to avoid the misuse of psychological findings that can affect society for many years after the research.

Question 25

Give evaluation for ethical implications (differing views on this issue)

Answer 25

• There are conflicting views on how to address ethical implications in SSR
• An argument is to avoid SSR as the findings may have negative consequences for the participants, for the section of society they represent, or for whole of society
• But, this would leave psychologists with nothing important to examine. Sieber and Stanley argue that ignoring sensitive research isn’t a responsible approach as avoiding controversial topics is just an avoidance of responsibility
• Therefore, SSR and ethical implications might be unavoidable as psychologists have a duty to study issues that affect modern society