Ethical implications & social sensitivity Flashcards
What are the 7 ethical guidelines?
- rights to Withdraw
- Debrief
- Protection from harm
- Deception
- Informed consent
- Confidentiality
- Observations (public place only)
How should you deal with a lack of informed consent?
What is presumptive consent?
- Prior general consent (not informed)
- researched could gain presumptive consent
- getting a group of people similar to the pt’s to say yes to the study instead
How should you deal with Issues of deception?
3 things
- Make changes to research design
- pre-screening to eliminate high-risk participants
- provide participants with as much info as possible during debriefing & promote rights to withdraw
How should you deal with issues from protection from harm?
- Ensure you must not embarrass, frighten or offend participants
- The risk of harm should be no greater than what would be experienced in ordinary life
- Promote RTW & other therapies if necessary
3 implications of psychological research that ethical guidelines can’t necessarily control?
3 things
- Rights of people participating in research (partially covered in ethical guidelines)
- Influence of Public policy (public forming negative views on a group)
- Way certain social groups are treated (research may lead to discrimination/perceptions of a certain group)
What did Sieber & Stanley (1988) define social sensitivity as?
- Studies where there are potential implications, directly for the participants or for the class of individuals represented by the research
Sieber & Stanley (1988) identified 4 aspects in the research process that could bring about social consequences?
- Research question
- Conduct of research & treatment of pt’s
- Institutional context
- Interpretation & application of findings
The research question as a social consequence?
Give an example?
- asking a research question may be damaging to members of a particular group as it appears to add scientific credibility to prevailing prejudice that group experiences
- what nationality has the highest IQ, would incorporate which nationality has the lowest IQ
Conduct of research & treatment of pt’s as a social consequence?
give an example?
- confidentiality of info collected
- If a pt confesses to a crime, should confidentiality be maintained
The institutional context as a social consequence?
give an example?
- research may be managed & funded by private institutions who may misuse the data/misunderstand the data
- for example Psychopharmacological researches testing new medication, to see if they work & then are sold for profit
Interpretation & application of findings as a social consequence?
give an example?
- research findings may be used for other purposes that what was intended
- development of IQ tests by psychologists was used to demonstrate the inferiority of groups & ‘feeble-minded’ who could then be sexually sterilised
5 ethical issues in socially sensitive research?
- Valid methodology
- Confidentiality
- Informed consent
- Ownership of data
- Risk/benefit ratio
Valid methodology in relation to social sensitivity?
- scientists may be aware of these invalid findings, but the media & public may not
- So poor studies might shape social policy that is incorrect
Confidentiality in relation to social sensitivity?
- participants may be less likely to share info in the future if confidentiality is breached
- so future research could be invalid
Informed consent in relation to social sensitivity?
- some participants may not understand what is involved in the study (mentally challenged)
Ownership of data in relation to social sensitivity?
- issues involve the sponsorship or the research & the public accessibility of data
Risk/benefit ratio in relation to social sensitivity?
- made difficult when research findings are unexpected & or costs/benefit of research are only realised after the research has been conducted
What is meant by ethical implications of research & theory?
- impact of psychological research that impacts the rights of individuals, not just the pt’s taking part in the study
3 reasons why psychologists should use socially sensitive research?
- if you don’t conduct it your abandoning social responsibility to find out human behaviour
- psychologists should have the freedom to research what they believe is important
- not all socially sensitive research has to be controversial & can reduce prejudice & raise awareness
Why could Bowlby’s monotropic theory (maternal deprivation) be regarded as socially sensitive?
cost benefit analysis?
- Negative implications for society as it may cause discrimination towards fathers who are primary caregivers
- Impacted working mothers who may have felt forced to stay at home - could have economic implications
- finding the importance of a monotropic figure may reverse equality in the workplace & impact the advancement of women in their careers
How is Milgram’s research socially sensitive?
cost-benefit analysis?
- Psychological distress, many participants sweated & laughed nervously, 3 had seizures
- findings could be sued to help governments become more authoritarian (society obey leaders)
- society reacted badly & were shocked at the findings
although results showed it is important to understand & recognise
How is the schiz mother socially sensitive?
cost benefit analysis?
- Targets all mothers, appeared to place the blame of the development of schizophrenia on the mother& neglected other reasons such as high levels of dopamine in the brain
- impacted family relations, however did lead to effective family therapies to help dysfunctional families with schiz
How should psychologists deal with socially sensitive research? (5 things)
- consider potential implications so should discuss with colleagues
- brief pt’s about implication potential
- ensure the attainment of fully informed consent
- rights to withdraw from the research at any time (even before results are published)
- publish with discretion & a carefully worded introduction
