Ethical implications of research studies and theory, including refer to social sensitivity

Question 1

What is the British Psychological Society?

Answer 1

They publish ethical guidelines which psychologists are supposed to follow when planning and conducting research.

Question 2

What are different ways of dealing with deception and lack of informed consent in psychological studies?

Answer 2

Debriefing

Presumptive Consent

Prior general consent

Retrospective consent

Parent of Guardian consent

Question 3

What is Debriefing?

Answer 3

At the end of the experiment participants should be informed about the aims, findings and conclusions of the investigation and the researcher should take steps to reduce any distress that may have been caused by the experiment. This may be in the form of counselling.

Question 4

What is Presumptive Consent?

Answer 4

The general public are surveyed and asked whether they believe that the breaking of ethical guidelines in a particular study is justified or not. This solution is often used in relation to experiments where participants cannot be asked for consent as the study requires them to remain naive. E.g. field experiments.

Question 5

What is Prior general consent?

Answer 5

In this proposed solution, people volunteer to take part in research as some point in the future. Thus, they serve as a pool of participants who may be used as some point in the future.

Question 6

What is retrospective consent?

Answer 6

Involved asking participants for consent after they have participated in the study.

Question 7

What is parent/guardian consent?

Answer 7

In the case of young children or the mentally-ill, parents or guardians can provide consent if they judge a procedure in in the client’s best interests.

e.g. whether a children with ADD should be prescribed a drug. Approval could also be obtained after consulting professional colleagues e.g. psychiatrists debating whether a depressed patient would benefit from a drug treatment.

Question 8

What is deception in psychological studies?

Answer 8

Participants should not be deceived (lied to) or involved in experiments unless they have agreed to take part.

Question 9

What is fully informed consent?

Answer 9

When the participants in a psychological study know the true aim of the study.

Question 10

What is the Right to withdraw?

Answer 10

Participants should have the right to withdraw from an experiment at any time. They should be informed of this right in the standard briefing instructions given to them before the experiment commences. They have the right to insist that any data they have provided during the experiment should be destroyed.

Question 11

What is the ethical guideline protection from physical and psychological harm?

Answer 11

Participants should be exposed to no more risk than they would encounter in their normal lives. They should also be protected from any kind of psychological harm such as stress, embarrassment or damage to their self-esteem.

If participants are showing signs of distress they should be reminded of their right to withdraw.

Question 12

What is the ethical guideline confidentiality?

Answer 12

Information about participants’ identities should not be revealed and can be kept confidential by ensuring participants’ identities remain anonymous and confidential.

Frued, for example, gave his clients pseudonyms e.g. Little Hans.

Question 13

What do Psychologists have a responsibility for?

Answer 13

Treating participants in an ethically acceptable manner and are responsible for the way in which their research is used.

Question 14

What was the study on psychological research having important social consequences?

Answer 14

Sieber 88

Question 15

What was Sieber 88 study?

Answer 15

Sieber 88 argued that Psychological research can have important social consequences.

For example, research findings could be used to justify prejudice against certain groups or shape government policy in potentially harmful ways.

Thus certain types of research are socially sensitive.

Question 16

What was the Bell Curve Study by Hernstein?

Answer 16

Argued that IQ is largely genetically inherited and is strongly correlated with social class status. this suggests that the wealthy are rich because of natural and intelligence, and their privilege is, therefore, in many ways early and deserved. This implies that the poor are poor because of a natural lack of genetic ability/low IQ.

Question 17

Why can ‘The Bell curve’ 94 by Hernstein be regarded as highly offensive?

Answer 17

As many would argue that poverty is the result of lack of of opportunity in education/employment and discrimination.

Question 18

What was the 7 aspects of Sieber outlined off the research process which are could potentially relate be socially sensitive research?

Answer 18

The research question

Conduct of research and treatment of participants.

The institutional context

Interpretation and application of findings

Valid Methodology

Wider impact

Including marginalised groups

Question 19

What is potentially socially sensitive about the research question?

Answer 19

Simply asking certain research questions such ‘are there racial differences in IQ’ may be damaging to certain sectors of the population as it implies that there might be. Potentially, such questions may appear to provide scientific justification for prejudice.

Question 20

What is potentially socially sensitive about the conduct of research and treatment of participants?

Answer 20

To what extent and in what circumstances should participant’s confidentiality be kept?

For example, if a participant reveals that they have or are planning to commit a crime should the researcher break confidentiality and report art to the authorities.

Question 21

What is socially sensitive about the institutional context?

Answer 21

Some research funded by private businesses have been accused on manipulating data to produce findings which support the businesses financial aims.

For example, a drug company manipulating data in a drug trial to ‘prove’ the effectiveness of their drug and improve sales.

Question 22

What is potentially socially sensitive about interpretation and application of findings?

Answer 22

Research findings may be used for unintended purposes.

For example, IQ tests have been used to try and ‘prove’ that certain groups in society are inferior to others.

Question 23

What is potentially socially sensitive about validity of methodology?

Answer 23

Although scientists may be aware that certain research is invalid because it has a poor research design, members of the public are less able to judge whether findings from ‘scientific’ studies should be trusted or not.

Question 24

What is potentially socially sensitive about the wider impact of research?

Answer 24

Psychologists tend to think of ethics in terms of how a particular piece of research can be carried out in an ethically acceptable manner. They should also consider how research studies may affect participant’s families, communities and the large group they are a member of (their ethnic group).

Question 25

What is socially sensitive about the marginality of groups?

Answer 25

Certain groups have generally been under represented as participants in psychological research: for example ethnic minorities, the disabled, non-heterosexuals.

Therefore, research findings may be biased/lacking validity due to these groups not be included in research. These groups may not benefit from the potentially positive applications of research done on them.

Question 26

Why can it be argued that just because an issue is potentially sensitive it does not mean that we should not investigate it or make public research findings?

Answer 26

Many regard it as socially sensitive and offensive to argue that homosexuality is innate. However, much research evidence does point to genetic/neurological factors underlying sexuality.

Therefore, we should not hide fro what is true just because some people find it offensive. if we refuse to carry out research simply because of the fear of offending people, scientific research will portray an invalid view of human behaviour.