Issues And Debates: Socially Sensitive Research Flashcards
What is socially sensitive research?
research that could lead to negative consequences for either the people of institutions participating directly, or the group of people the reseach is about.
What are some of the questions you should ask yourself as a researcher?
1) What are the implications for society?
2) How does it impact the ptps, organisations and wider community?
3) What are the potential practical implications of the research?
4) What is the validity of the research like?
What 4 groups did Sieber and Stanley (1988) outline may be affected?
1) Members of social groups being studied (e.g. racial and ethnic groups)- IQ tests with US black people
2) Friends or relatives of those taking part, where individuals may become famous or infamous (e.g. Genies mother)
3) the research team (examples of researchers are intimidated due to the line of research they are in)
4) Insitiution in which the research is conducted
What research did Humphrey’s (1970)
the practises and social interactions of gay men meeting in a public toilet for sex. He posed as a gay man and met/talked to his ptps. To find out more about their backgrounds, he took their car number plates and used a contact in the police to find out where they lived. he concluded most of the stereotypes were untrue and their public sexual interactions were not harmful
Who carried out brain scans of violent criminals and found they tended to have subtle damage to areas of the brain associated to impulse control, he suggested it was a marker for criminals and to save misery and money, children should be screened for these markers and have ‘something done about it’
Raine (1996)
What are the arguments for Socially sensitive research?
1) better understanding of issues (e.g. gender or race) and able to gain a greater acceptance and reduce prejudice.
2) has been of benefit to society (e.g. EWT, this can be flawed and shouldn’t be used without corroboration, also aware that children’s EWT are just as reliable as adults)
3) Psychologists have devised methods to resolve issues raised
What are the arguments against SSR?
1) often creates ethnically dilemmas
2) Risk of misinterpretation (dictate social policy and put certain groups at a disadvantage- 11+) 3) Misinterpreted or sensationalised by the media (could lead to public misunderstanding and harm)
4) May put vulnerable groups at risk
5) Political backlash
How can you reduce the negative effects of SSR?
1) Must consider research question carefully (‘is intelligence inherited?’ could put groups at risk) 2) methodology must consider the treatment of ptps and their right to confidentiality
3) Institutional context (if funded by private organisation, how and why do they intend to use the findings)
4) Researcher needs to consider how their findings might be interpreted and applied in the real world
