Ethics and Socially Sensitive Research Flashcards
What are ethical issues?
Problems that could arise during research and affect PPTs
What are ethical implications?
Consequences of research and effect on PPTs.
What is socially sensitive research?
Research where there could be consequences or implications for certain groups of people in the research or represented by the research
Who defined socially sensitive research?
Sieber and Stanley
Give 2 examples of socially sensitive research.
Burts 11+, Bowlby, Wakefields MMR
Name the 4 implications of socially sensitive research.
Research question
Conduct of research and treatment of PPTs
Institutional context
Interpretation and application of findings
How might the research question be an implication of SSR?
Phrasing of research question may influence interpretation of findings.
State how research should be conducted and PPTs should be treated to avoid implications of SSR.
Methodology, Informed consent, PPTs must be aware of their right to withdraw, PPT info must be kept confidential etc.
Explain what institutional context is and how it can be an implication of SSR.
Researcher must be mindful of how data will be used and consider who is funding the research.
Explain how interpretation and application of findings can be an implication of SSR.
Psychologists must think about how findings might be used because they could be used to support prejudicial theories.
Explain the strength of there being benefits of socially sensitive research.
Explain how SSR can reduce prejudice of minorities.
Use the example of how homosexuality is no longer considered a mental disorder.
What is the Kinsey report and how did it change our views on homosexuality?
Scarr argues that studies of underrepresented groups and their issues may promote greater understanding to help reduce prejudice. For example, homosexuality used to be listed in the DSM as ‘sociopathic personality disorder’ until it was removed in 1973. This change resulted from the Kinsey report which was based on anonymous interviews with over 5000 men about their sexual behaviour. The report concluded that homosexuality is a normal variant of human behaviour. This suggests that socially sensitive research may benefit society.
Explain the limitation of poor research design leading to incorrect findings that could have long term effects on society.
Use the example of Burt’s 11+ research and its impact on todays society.
Use the example of Wakefield’s MMR and autism research and its impact on todays society.
Explain the implications of these studies.
For example, Burt’s 11+ research was exposed as fraudulent (he made up the +0.77 heritability coefficient for IQ) yet the 11+ is still used today to decide whether a child attends a grammar school or normal school. This is based off the assumption that a child’s genetic potential has revealed itself by age 11. Additionally, some parents still choose not to vaccinate children against MMR due to Wakefield’s manipulated research on the link between the vaccine and autism. Therefore, research on socially sensitive topics needs to be planned with great care to ensure findings are valid, as there can be enduring effects on certain groups of people.
Explain the limitation of findings being used as social control.
Use the example of sterilisation of people who scored low on an IQ test.
Use the example of UK mother’s being denied childcare as a result of Bowlby’s findings.
Findings from research may support prejudiced theories. For example, the first intelligence tests led to many US states enacting legislation that led to compulsory sterilization of citizens deemed unfit to breed. In the UK, Bowlby’s research influenced the government’s decision not to offer free childcare to children under 5, which pressured mothers not to work as it could have affected their child’s development negatively. Therefore, the fact that socially sensitive research has been used as a form of social control is an argument against its widespread adoption.
Explain the limitation of it being difficult to predict costs and benefits of socially sensitive research.
Explain how it can be difficult to predict impacts of research.
How can we avoid issues caused by SSR?
However, what are the problems with this way of avoiding issues?
Aronson said that psychologists have _____________ when it comes to conducting socially sensitive research.
Some consequences of research may be difficult to anticipate. Assessment of the worth of such research are typically subjective and the real impact of research can only ever be known once made public. Therefore, one way to deal with issues presented by conducting socially sensitive research is to avoid doing it. However, ignoring such topics is not a responsible approach. Just because it is socially sensitive does not mean it shouldn’t be conducted. Aronson states that psychologists have a social responsibility to conduct socially sensitive research.
