Ethical implications of psychological research

• Define ‘social sensitivity’.

  Socially sensitive research refers to when psychological research has negative social consequences for the participants or the wider population represented in the research.
• Identify a way of reducing social sensitivity.

  Carefully consider the research question to ensure it is not damaging to members of a particular group in society.
• Identify a way of reducing social sensitivity.

  Be mindful about who is funding the research as the organization funding it may be using it to fuel their own agenda e.g. drug companies may fund research investigating the effectiveness of their drugs so they can publish research to increase their profits.
• Identify a way of reducing social sensitivity.

  Sensitively brief and debrief individuals involved in the research so they are aware of the potential implications and how to deal with these.
• Identify a way of reducing social sensitivity.

  Maintain participants’ confidentiality so that the general public does not discriminate against them.
• Identify a way of reducing social sensitivity.

  Ensure the research findings are clearly stated in the report to prevent others/the media misinterpreting/twisting them to fuel their own agenda against groups in society.
• Outline ethical implications of psychological research.

  Ethical implications of studies and theory refer to the implications that psychological research can have on participants and the wider population that the research applies to.
• Outline ethical implications of psychological research.

  This is a possibility in psychological research because researchers have little say in terms of how their findings may later be used to affect particular groups in society.
• Outline ethical implications of psychological research.


  1. For example, psychological research can result in the participants involved being perceived negatively in society. This can be seen in Milgram’s research whereby society has judged the highly obedient participants who were willing to ‘risk another person’s life’ by giving them ‘electric shocks’.
• Outline ethical implications of psychological research.

  In addition, psychological research can lead to groups within society being labelled and discriminated against. This can be seen in Lombroso’s theory whereby people with dark skin and curly hair were said to be genetic throwbacks that are more likely to commit crime. This in turn led people of African descent to be labelled as unavoidably criminal and wrongfully targeted in criminal investigations.
• Outline ethical implications of psychological research.


  Psychological research can lead to changes in laws that negatively affects groups in society. For example, Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory highlighted the importance of a mother being present. This led to the UK government not offering free childcare places to children under 5 which has negatively affected many low-income families who need mothers working to bring money into the home.
• Outline ethical implications of psychological research.


  Socially sensitive research therefore refers to when research has negative social consequences for the participants or the wider population represented in the research.
• Evaluate ethical implications: positive applications.


  Bowlby’s theories were considered socially sensitive, focus on the importance of the mother pressured them into staying at home, thus limiting career prospects. Research has since found that fathers play a critical role in their child’s development e.g. they act as the exciting playmate and can reduce later negative behaviours. This is a strength because of the applications that have benefited mothers e.g. more paternity leave so that parents can engage in more joint child-rearing practices. This has resulted in less pressure on mothers.
• Evaluate ethical implications: little progress has been made towards reducing it. 


  This is because despite ethical guidelines being established to protect participants during the research, no official guidelines have been established to reduce issues of social sensitivity in wider society. This is a limitation because it still leaves many groups in society vulnerable to negative implications.
• Evaluate ethical implication: ways to reduce socially sensitive research.


  Researchers are encouraged to carefully consider their research questions, carefully consider who is funding the research, brief and debrief participants, maintain confidentiality, and ensure the research findings are clearly stated. This is a strength because such recommendations have helped to reduce issues of social sensitivity in Psychology.
• Evaluate ethical implications: guidance on how to reduce it has been criticised. 


  The recommendation to carefully consider the research question has been criticised because researchers believe it will only leave them with unimportant issues to study. Some psychologists argue that avoiding controversial topics limits the progression of psychology when trying to understand human behaviour. This is a limitation because it suggests that a cost-benefit approach. If they do, the research may go ahead.