Ethical implications of research studies & theory

Question 1

What do ethical implications concern?

Answer 1

Ethical implications of psychological research concern the way that research impacts the people that take part in the studies and the way the findings are used.

Question 2

What does socially sensitive research refer to?

Answer 2

‘Studies in which there are potential social consequences or implications either directly for the participants in research or the class of individuals represented by the research’ - Sieber & Stanley (1988).

Question 3

What did Seiber & Stanley (1988) produce?

Answer 3

Produced a landmark paper on the issues related to research that has social consequences and they pointed out that the eithical guidelines produced by the American Psychological Association referred to the social implications of research but didn’t offer advice about how ethical issues may be resolved.

Question 4

What did Seiber & Stanley identify?

Answer 4

Identified four aspects in the research process at which ethical issues with social consequences may occur.

Question 5

What were the four aspects identified?

Answer 5

• The research question
• Conduct of research & treatment of participants
• Insitutional context
• Interpretation & application of findings

Question 6

How may a research question cause social consequences?

Answer 6

Asking a research question could be damaging to a particular group within society as it appears to add scientific credibility to the prevailing justice.

Question 7

How may conduct of research & treatment of participants cause social consequences?

Answer 7

There may be a problem with the confidentiality of the information collected.

Question 8

How may institutional context cause social consequences?

Answer 8

Research could be funded and managed by private institutions who have the potential to mishandle data or misunderstand the way data is produced and the media may obtain reports of the research and then misreport the findings.

Question 9

How may interpretation & application of findings cause social consequences?

Answer 9

Research findings may be used for purposes that weren’t orginally intended such as the development of the IQ test and how it was used to demonstrate inferiority and used to identify the feeble minded who could be sterilised.

Question 10

What are the 10 types of ethical issues that Sieber and Stanley identified?

Answer 10

• Privacy
• Confidentiality
• Valid methodology
• Deception
• informed consent
• Equitable treatment
• Scientific freedom
• Ownership data
• Values
• Risk/benefit ratio

Question 11

How does privacy link to socially sensitive research?

Answer 11

During the research process a skilled investigator may extract more information from participants then intended to give and some research may lead to social policies that are an invasion on people’s private lives.

Question 12

How does condidentiality link to socially sensitive research?

Answer 12

Participants may be less willing to divulge information in the future if confidentiality is breached and so further research would be compromised.

Question 13

How does valid metholodgy link to socially sensitve research?

Answer 13

If there is poor methodology not everyone may be aware of the problems so the studies with this methodology may shape important social policys that are are detrimental to the groups represented by the research.

Question 14

How does deception link to socially sensitive research?

Answer 14

Where research may lead to people forming untrue stereotypes which then affect one’s performance.

Question 15

How does informed consent link to socially sensitive research?

Answer 15

Participants may not fully comprehened what is involved.

Question 16

How does equitable treatment link to socially sensitive research?

Answer 16

All participants should be trated in an equitable manner and resources which are vital to the participants well-being aren’t witheld from one group and not the other.

Question 17

How does scientific freedom link to socially sensitive research?

Answer 17

Scientists have a duty to engage in research and an obligation to not harm participants and institutions in society.

Question 18

How does ownership data link to socially sensitive research?

Answer 18

Some of the problems with determining ownership involve the sponsorship of research and the public’s accessibility of data.

Question 19

How do values link to socially sensitive research?

Answer 19

Psychologists differ in their orientation towards subjective and objective processes and sensitive issues arise when there is a clash in values between the scientist and recipient of the research.

Question 20

How does risk/benefit ration link to socially sensitive research?

Answer 20

Risks/costs should be minimised but problems arise in determining risks and benefits.

Question 21

Why did the all trials campaign start?

Answer 21

Psychologists rely on research into drug therapies to inform the treatment of mental disorders with drug therapies but this research is funded by pharmaceutical companies and they have been accused of selective publication of data. This means that these companies may not publish the data that harms their sales.

Question 22

What did Dr Ben Goldacre do?

Answer 22

In the all trials campaign he asked for all research to be made public and all research should be pre-registered as this would include stating the statistical analysis which then means researchers can’t process data in a way which makes the outcome more favourable to the drug.

Question 23

What was an issue raised in the all trials campaign?

Answer 23

Researchers have to agree that initial sponsors can sensor the data produced but PhRMA has defended itself by saying such disclosures would reduce patients privacy and result in fewer new drugs.