ethical implications

• The ethical implications of psychological research are concerned with the way research consequences on those who participate also the impact of the research findings on psychology and the wider society.

  • Implications of research on pps or family

  • Misuse/misrepresentation of data

  • Effects of publishing findings e.g. prejudice

  • Potential use of findings

  • Economic implications 
• Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis – implications of need to stay at home, pressure on mothers wanting to return to work but also positive implications for policy change e.g. hospital visits with children
• Genetic explanation of offending behavior has implications on individuals and society and the stigmas attached to that
• Socially sensitive research (SSR) refers to any research that has ethical implications that go beyond the research situation and affect people or groups in the wider society e.g.

  The Participants who took part in the research

  Their families/friends

  Subgroups or cultures within society e.g. ethnic minorities

  The researchers and their institution
• Sieber and Stanley (1988) identified 4 concerns that researchers should be mindful of when conducting SSR.

  the research question

  the treatment of the pps

  the institutional context

  interpretation of findings
• strength

  socially sensitive research can have benefits for the group who have been studied.

  One example of this is homosexuality. In 1952 the DSM-1 listed this as a 'sociopathic personality disorder' but finally removed it in 1973. This change has been credited to the Kinsey report which was based on anonymous interviews with over 5000 men about their sexual behaviour (Kinsey et al. 1948).

  This illustrates the importance of researchers tackling topics that are sensitive.
• weakness

  in some studies there could be negative consequences for the groups being studied, which in some cases could have been anticipated. For example, research investigating the genetic basis of criminality has found that there is a 'criminal gene'. If this is true does it mean that someone could be convicted on the basis that they have such a gene or should they be excused because they cannot be held responsible for any wrongdoing?

  This suggests that, when researching socially sensitive topics, there is a need for very careful consideration of the possible outcomes and their consequences
• certain groups (e.g. policymakers) rely on research related to socially sensitive issues.

  The government looks to research when developing important social policies, for example decisions related to child care, education, mental health provision, crime and so on. It is clearly preferable to base such policies on scientific research rather than politically-motivated views.

  This means that psychologists have an important role to play in providing high quality research on socially sensitive topics
• weakness

  poor research design may lead to erroneous findings which, once in the public arena, continue to have an impact.

  for example access to many independent schools is based on a child's performance in an entrance exam taken in Year 6 (age 11) and is likely based on the same reasoning - that genetic potential has revealed itself by this age.

  Therefore any research on socially sensitive topics needs to be planned with the greatest care to ensure the findings are valid because of the enduring effects on particular groups of people