ethical implications of research studies and theory

Question 1

ethical implications and social sensitivity

Answer 1

ethical implications concern the consequences that psychological research may have

applies to all psychological research but some areas have greater social sensitivity that others

example - research on long-term memory in a student population is unlikely to have consequences for individual participants or for the broader social groups that htey represent

also unlikely to be consequences for social policy

in contrast a study on depression may have consequences in terms of indivual participants , the wider social groups that they represent and for social policy

exmaple - an individual participants may reveal personal information that is later acccessed by. prospective employer

or the findings of the study may suggest that people with depression never dull true over and therefore are a risk as an employee

in terms of social policy the findings of a study on depression could inform preferred treatment options recommended by the NHS

Question 2

implications for the research process

Answer 2

all psychological research has potential consequences but this applies to socially sensitive research in partovcual

therefore all stages of planning and conducting studoes are importnat when thinking of social sentivity as well as later in handling the findings

Question 3

implications for the research process

research questions

Answer 3

Sieber and stanley

warn that the way in which research questions are phrased and investigated may influence the way in which findings are interpreted

example - Kitzinger and coyle note how research into relationships has been guilty of a form of heterosexual bias whithin which homosexual relationships were compared and judged against heterosexual norms

Question 4

implications for the research process

dealing with participants

Answer 4

issues such as informed consent

confidentiality

psychological harm

may be especially important in socially sensitive research

example - in a study on domestic abuse participants may worry that an ex-partner will find out about the study and also it is likely yo be extremely stressful for participants to describe ther expiernces

such participants may provide informed consent at the start of the study but nit fully understand the effect of the research

Question 5

implications for the research process

the way findings are used

Answer 5

researchers should consider in advance how research findings may be used

it may impact on what data they actually collect

this is especially important because findings from research may be seen as giving scientific credence to existing prejudices such as studies examining the ethnic basis of intelligence

senseitive information is exactly what the media tends to be interested in and will publicise

Question 6

strength

Answer 6

benefits for groups

strenght of socially sentive research is that it can have benefits for the group who have been studied

example - homosexuality

in 1952 DSM-1 listed this as a sociopathic personality disorder which was finally removed in later years

this change has been creditired to the kinsey report which was based on anonymous interviewers with over 5000 men about their sexual behaviour

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 ime because these were topics no one discussed

illustrates the importance of researchers tackling topics that are sentive

Question 7

strength

Answer 7

real world application

certain groups rely on research related to socially sentive issues

government looks to research when developing important social policies

example - decision related to child care and education

important role to pay in providing hugh quality research on socially sensitive topics

Question 8

limitation

Answer 8

poor research design

may lead to erroneous findings which once in the public area continue to have an impact

exmaple - Burts research because even when the fraud was exposed the 11+ still continued to be used

access to indecent schools is based on a child performance in an entrance exam takes at age 11 and is likely based on the same reasoning as 11 - genetic potential has revealed itself by this ages

therefore any research on socially sensitive topics needs to be planned with the geatest care to ensure the finings are va;id because of the enduring effects on particular groups of people