ethical implications A03 Flashcards
benefits for groups
P) One strength of socially sensitive research is that it can have benefits for the group who have been studied.
E) One example of this is homosexuality. In 1952 the DSM-1 listed this as a sociopathic personality disorder but finally removed it in 1973.
E) This change has been credited to the Kinsey report which was based on anonymous interviews with over 5000 men about their sexual behaviour (Kinsey et al. 1948). The report concluded that homosexuality is a typical expression of human sexual behaviour. The report also included data on interviews with 6000 women and caused outrage at the time because these were topics that no one discussed.
L) This illustrates the importance of researchers tackling topics that are sensitive.
benefits for groups - counterpoint
However, in some studies there could be negative consequences for the groups being studied, which in some cases could have been anticipated. For example, research investigating the genetic basis of criminality has found that there is a criminal gene (see page 329, ‘The Mobley defence). If this is true does it mean that someone could be convicted on the basis that they have such a gene or should they be excused because they cannot be held responsible for any wrongdoing?
This suggests that, when researching socially sensitive topics, there is a need for very careful consideration of the possible outcomes and their consequences.
Real-world application
P) Another strength is that certain groups (eg. policymakers) rely on research related to socially sensitive issues.
E) The government looks to research when developing important social policies, for example decisions related to child care, education, mental health provision, crime and so on. It is clearly preferable to base such policies on scientific research rather than politically-motivated views.
E) For this reason in the UK there are independent groups such as the ONS (Office for National Statistics) who describe themselves as being responsible for collecting, analysing and disseminating objective statistics about the UKs economy, society and population. Such data is used in psychological research.
L) This means that psychologists have an important role to play in providing high quality research on socially sensitive topics.
poor research design
P) One limitation is that poor research design may lead to erroneous findings
E) This was certainly the case in relation to Burt’s research (see right) because, even after the fraud was exposed, the 11+ continued to be used. Indeed, the 11+ is still used as a selection tool in parts of the UK today (eg. Kent, Belfast).
E) Similarly, access to many independent schools is based on a child’s performance in an entrance exam taken in Year 6 tage 11) and is likely based on the same reasoning - that genetic potential has revealed itself by this age.
L) Therefore any research on socially
sensitive topics needs to be planned with the greatest care to ensure the findings are valid because of the enduring effects on [aticular groups of people
