✓ Ethical Implications (AO1)

Question 1

What is an Ethical Issue?

Answer 1

negative consequences for an individual taking part in a study e.g. deception, informed consent, protection from harm

Question 2

What is an Ethical Implication?

Answer 2

negative consequence of the research on wider society not just those in the study

Question 3

What is Socially Sensitive Research?

Answer 3

research which is likely to have ethical implications + potential negative consequences for either ppts involved or ppl in wider society

Question 4

What are the 3 things Psychological Research can Influence?

Answer 4

the media
public policy
marginalised groups

Question 5

How does psychological research influence The Media?

Answer 5

• the media summarises long research papers into key headlines to get attention from their audience
• often oversimplifies complex phenomena or puts more weight on certain findings
• they also use the word ‘prove’ which we avoid!

Question 6

Example of how psychological research influences The Media?

Answer 6

Philip Zimbardo’s research found that people are quick to conform to social roles and will excessively comply to what is expected of that role

• recently Z had to speak out against an anti-mask group who were using his research to promote their stance in the COVID-19 pandemic
• they believed that wearing a mask would create blind obedience to the government, similarly to how the guards and prisoners took on their roles in the Stanford Prison Experiment

Question 7

How does psychological research influence Public Policy?

Answer 7

• some research can affect political decisions & changes in law/policy
• this can be great for social change/progress but also has obvious downsides

Question 8

Example of how psychological research influences Public Policy?

Answer 8

Cyril Burt produced evidence for the genetic basis of intelligence with research he conducted on twins showing a heritability coefficient of .77

• he used this research to encourage the government to implement the 11+ exam in the UK
• it is used to decide whether children should go on to grammar schools or not
• this separates children based on their ‘natural intelligence’
• the marginalised group is less intelligent people

Question 9

How does psychological research influence Marginalised Groups?

Answer 9

• marginalised groups are people who are treated as insignificant in society
• research can be used to justify things like racism, homophobia, misogyny if it shows a difference in these groups
• this puts marginalised groups at further risk

Question 10

Example of how psychological research influences Marginalised Groups?

Answer 10

John Bowlby’s research found serious psychological effects if children were deprived of contact with their mothers in early childhood

• B later became an advisor to WHO & he influenced the UK government’s decision to not offer free childcare places to children under 5
• this negatively affected working-class mothers (the marginalised group)