Ethical Implications and SSR

• What do ethical implications consider

  The impact or consequence that a psychological theory or research has on people of a wider context
• What is done when considering an ethical implication in research

  A cost benefit analysis - do the costs of the research to the involved PPT's/ who is being studied outweigh the benefits to society

  (THINK OF IT LIKE MSB AND MPC)
• Who proposed the term Socially Sensitive Research

  Seiber and Stanley
• WHat is socially sensitive research

  Research that has potential social implications
• What are the 4 aspects in scientific processes that raise ethical concerns in socially sensitive research

  1: The research question

  2: The methodology

  3: The institutional context

  4: Interpretation and application of findings
• What should we consider about the research question in SSR


  Is the research question diminishing to a certain group?
• What should we consider about the methodology is SSR

  How are the PPT's treated and is their information going to be kept confidential and anonymous

  ETHICAL ISSUE = confidentiality
• What should be consider about the institutional context of research

  How is the data being used an who is funding the research

  • If the research is being funded privately - why are they funding it and what are they using it for?
• What should we consider about the interpretation and application of findings

  The researcher needs to consider how their findings might be interpreted and applied in the real world

  • could it create stigma or pressure to act in a certain way?
• EXAMPLE OF A SOCIALLY SENSITIVE STUDY

  Milgram's obedience study - he wanted to test the hypothesis; Germans are different and are more obedient to authority

  FINDINGS:

  Nearly 2/3 of men would obey a legitimate authority figure if it meant harming a stranger to life threatening levels

  • Milgram's shock study = 100% went to 300V and 65% went to 450V
• What are the positive implications of Milgram's study

  They had positive implications for Germans, as the socially sensitive idea that they were more obedient was disproved

  This allowed for the 'debunking' of a socially sensitive topic which may have improved the lives for Germans who had to live under a cloud of stigma

  THEREFORE STUDYING SOCIALLY SENSITIVE TOPICS HAS POSITIVE REAL WORLD IMPLICATIONS
• What are the negative implications of Milgram's study

  We have to be mindful of the implications of research and how people may apply these.

  Research by Milgram now teaches that people are obedient to a legitimate authority figure - this could be used for negative purposes if the wrong person was to discover .

  FOR EXAMPLE: the case of Sarah Everard shows how bad people learning about legitimate authority (i.e. obedience to the police) can mean that these published and exploited for bad purposes

  Therefore we need to be conscious of how these findings may be interpreted and applied.
• EXAMPLE OF A SOCIALLY SENSITIVE THEORY

  Bowlby's Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis - states that separation from the mother during the critical period (0-3 years) with no alternate substitute attachment leads to emotional and behavioural issues
• What were the results of Bowlby's 44 thieves (maternal deprivation) study

  Thieves who had experienced episodes of separation from their mother (deprivation) were more likely to be classified as having emotional and behavioural problems

  17/44 thieves had experienced prolonged early separation from their mothers during the critical period = AFFECTIONLESS PSYCHOPATHS
• Why is Bowlby's maternal deprivation theory considered socially sensitive?

  • Creates gender prejudice and bias
  • Influences societal expectations of mothers
  • Affects mothers' mental health and career choices
• What are the implications of Bowlby's maternal deprivation hypothesis (as it highlights a SS issue)

  It gives mothers 'mothers guilt' and leads them to feel the need to stay home

  It highlights the gender divide between men and women

  • weakens the argument for closing the gender pay gap
  • reduces number of mothers working = more stay at home mums = more financial dependency = potential for dometic abuse

  THEREFORE BOWLBY'S MATERNAL DEPRIVATION THEORY IS SOCIALLY SENSITIVE AS IT CREATES GENDER PREJUDICE AND BIAS