Ethical Implications Of Research Studies And Theory Flashcards
What are ethical implications?
The consequences of any research in terms of the effects on individual participants or on the way in which certain groups of people are subsequently regarded. There may also be consequences of a wider societal level.
What are ethical complications concerned with?
They way research impacts on those who participate also the impact of the research findings on psychology and wider society.
Give examples of ethical implications of research at a wider societal level
- the influencing of public policy
- the way certain groups are treated or the perception of certain groups of people
How are ethical implications different from ethical issues?
Ethical implications are the consequences of research.
Ethical issues are conflicts between the rights of participants and the intended aims of research.
Who defines “Social Sensitivity”?
Sieber and Stanley
How do Sieber and Stanley define Socially sensitive research?
Studies in which there are potential consequences or implications, either directly for the participants in the research or for the class of individuals represented by the research.
Give examples of socially sensitive research in psychology
Milgram’s research
Bowlby’s theory of attachment
Cyril Blurt’s research
However what does Aronson state?
Psychologists have a ‘social responsibility’ to conduct socially sensitive research
Explain why Milgram’s research is socially sensitive
- no informed consent as the participants weren’t told the true nature of the study
- caused participants distress and some even had seizures
- the participants didn’t feel they could withdraw from the experiment because the researcher encouraged them to continue administering shocks
What are the implications of Milgram’s research to psychology?
Explain why Bowlby’s theory of attachment is socially sensitive?
Impacts on mothers - coerces mothers to stay at home and look after children so the bond isn’t disrupted. Also makes women feel guilty for wanting to return to work. Reinforces a woman’s ‘natural’ role as child bearer.
Impact on fathers - If the primary caregivers are usually the mothers, this may impact fathers’ involvement in child care if they feel less important to their baby’s development.This implication may also impact single fathers concerned about whether their mother’s absence will negatively impact their baby.
What are the implications of Bowlby’s theory?
- the importance of mother life in infancy influenced the way in which at least a generation of children were raised
- may have influenced the UK government’s decision not to offer free child care places to children under 5
- his work could have had an indirect effect on the legal ‘norm’ that mothers are granted custody of the children in divorce.
- attachment theory has influenced hospital, adoption, and social-work policies
Explain why Cyril Burt’s research is socially sensitive?
He used studies of identical twins to support his view that intelligence is largely genetic. His views led to the creation of the 11+ exam which determined whether children attended grammar schools or secondary modern schools (this had a significant impact on their life chances).
However discrepancies in his data later revealed that Burt had made much of it up and was publicly discredited.
However, the 11+ exam and the idea that children should be separated on the basis of their ‘natural’ intelligence still lingers.
any research linking intelligence to genetic factors can be seen as socially sensitive
What are the implications of Burt’s research on social policy?
The ethical implications of Burt’s work were that certain individuals were disadvantaged if they did not pass the 11+ by the education they then received. The findings of Burt’s research can be used to justify existing prejudices and influence public policy of separating people in education according to their IQ, which could be disadvantageous for some individuals.
