Ethical Implications Of Research And Theories Flashcards
How should you answer questions on ethical implications?
Remember to use cost-benefit analysis as a big chunk of your AO3
- usually research has an ethical cost, but the benefits come out in the long-term
What are ethical implications of research studies and theory?
The impact of psychological research on others in the wider context, not on the participants being studied
- effectively it is the impact on the people who might be linked with the research but aren’t being studied directly
What two main theories/research should you use for ethical implications?
. Bowlby’s theory of attachment
. Zimbardo’s stanford prison experiment
What are some of the ethical implications of Bowlby’s theory of attachment?
. Almost makes men redundant as the monotropic bond is specific to the mother (although men at the time wouldn’t have been bothered with not having a huge role in attachment)
. Women may have been reluctant to work during WW2 as they are focused on forming an attachment and the consequences of prolonged separations
What are some of the immediate ethical costs of Bowlby’s theory?
Men might not feel like they can stay at home with the child as they are unable to form the monotropic bond
What are some of the eventual benefits of Bowlby’s theory?
. It was found that substitute mothers were just as effective in minimising the negative effects of maternal deprivation
- this led to nurseries having more staff
. Benefit on social policies
- adoptions need to happen quickly within a critical period now
Who was impacted primarily by Zimbardo’s research?
Prison officers
- initial cost: put prison officers in a bad light as his research fuelled the stereotype of verbally aggressive prison officers as they were seen to conform to their social roles and abuse power
What was the eventual benefit of Zimbardo’s research?
. Prison reforms occurred as a result of his research as the study shone light on the conditions of prisons in America
