Peer Review & The Economy Flashcards
What is a peer review?
The independent assessment of scientific work before its published by experts in the same field
Acts as a gatekeeper to reduce the chances of flawed/unscientific research being accepted
Process of peer review
- Provide recommendations about whether research should be published or not
- Check the validity of the research to ensure it’s of high quality
- Assess the appropriateness of the procedure and methodology
- Judge the significance of the research in the wider context of human behaviour
- Assess for originality
- Allocate funding
Who is the economy?
State of a country or region in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services
How does psychology contribute to the economy?
Creates practical applications used in everyday life for the betterment of society
Occurs through conducting research that may contain ethical issues but are justified in doing so
Implications of psychological research for the economy ATTACHMENT
Classic research = childcare mothers responsibility and father was provider for family
Newer research= both parents equally capable of childcare which allows for flexible working arrangements within the family. Modern parents are better equipped to maximise their income and contribute more effectively to the economy
Implications of psychological research for the economy TREATMENTS
Absences from work costs the economy 15 billion a year and a third of thee were caused by mental health disorders
Psychological research into treatments of mental illnesses have an important role. 14.7% of the uk take anti depressants so they can live a relatively normal life, work and contribute to the economy
Criticism of peer review - ANONYMITY
Peer reviewers may use their anonymity to criticise rival researchers as they are in direct competition for limited research funding
Criticism of peer review - PUBLICATION BIAS
Editors tend to publish ‘headline grabbing’ findings and publish positive results to increase the credibility and circulation of their publication
Could mean that negative results are ignored/not published which creates a false impression of the current state of psychology
Criticism of peer review - BURYING RESEARCH
Any research that opposes mainstream theories tend to be suppressed, researchers tend to be critical of research that contradicts their own view
Established scientists work more likely to be published and new challenging ideas are rejected so there is no change
