Ethical Implications

Question 1

What are ethical implications?

Answer 1

The impact of psychological research has 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 participant and the way in which researchers carry out research

Question 3

What are ethical guidelines?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Outline examples of ethical implications in attachment

Answer 4

• The role of the father, which affects how fathers are viewed
• 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 where there are potential social consequences for the participants or the group of people represented by the researchers
• e.g. may lead to negative societal opinion 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

• Research 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 publications 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

• Research 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 on 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 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 participant 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 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
• Also some argue that scientists should be compelled to disclose results so they can be re-analysed

Question 20

Describe values as an ethical issue in socially sensitive research

Answer 20

• Different psychologists differ in their orientations towards idiographic and nomothetic 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
• Psychologists have developed strict ethical guidelines that aim to protect the immediate needs of research participants, but may not deal with all the ways research may inflict harm on a group of people
• e.g. currently ethical guidelines don’t ask researchers to consider how their research might be used by others, as recommended by Sieber and Stanley
• This suggests that the aims of ethical guidelines haven’t permeated into professional practice
• However, psychology is evolving and ethical committees acknowledge ethical implications; especially in SSR. SSR is the most scrutinized research in psychology. Ethical committees reject more SSR than any other form of research. Therefore, psychology is moving to address these issues.

Question 23

Give evaluation for ethical implications (overcoming these implications)

Answer 23

• Psychologists are moving to engage directly with the public in a way that means psychological research can be disseminated to the public openly
• In order to reduce the likelihood of misuse of data, psychologists should be energetic in taking responsibility for what happens to their findings. They should be aware of the possibility that the results of their research might lead to discrimination or, as Sieber and Stanley suggest, offer ‘scientific credibility to the prevailing prejudice.’
• e.g. The British Psychological Society has a press centre which aims to promote evidence-based research to the media
• This suggests that individual researchers should be supported in promoting their research in a SS way.

Question 24

Give evaluation for ethical implications (implications when not addressed)

Answer 24

• Ethical implications are an important issue that psychologists must strive to address due to evidence of long-term impacts of fraudulent research.
• Poor research leads to erroneous findings so when published, they will continue to have an impact
• This is illustrated in Burt’s research, who was interested in the heritability of intelligence. Burt’s research on twin studies 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 psychology needs to ensure that ethical implications are prevented to avoid the misuse of psychological findings that may continue to affect society for many years later

Question 25

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

Answer 25

• There are conflicting views on how to move forward in psychology to address ethical implications in SSR
• An argument in favour of avoiding SSR is that 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 to examine but unimportant issues. Sieber and Stanley argue that ignoring sensitive research isn’t a responsible approach to science and avoiding controversial topics just because they’re controversial is an avoidance of responsibility
• Therefore, SSR might be unavoidable as psychologists have a duty to study issues that affect modern society