Ethical Implications

• Ethical guidelines

  Introduced in 1960s to protect the rights of research participants involved in research whilst they are doing reserarch
• Ethical implications

  The impact/consequences of the research on the rights of the people, this includes how the findings are communicated to the public (represented in the media), and how findings are used, eg, influencing public policy and the perception of particular groups in society
• Affected by research

  • Groups with shared characteristics
  • Participants
  • Participants families
  • Researchers
  • Institutions
  • Society
• Implications might be direct (emotional/physical for participants) or indirect (as a result of publication/interpretation, eg implications got how groups are perceived)
• Ethical implications may involve:

  • Effects on participants
  • Effects on social groups
  • Effects on policy
• Effects on Participants

  • Long term harm
  • Distress
  • Stigma
  • Regret
• Effects on Social Groups

  • Bias against certain demographics or people with certain characteristics
  • Influence on moral attitudes
• Effects on Policy

  • Changes to allocation of resources, eg, withdrawal or addition of support
  • Political consequences, eg legislation
  • Economic, eg, funding for research
• Socially Sensitive Research

  Refers to studies that have potential direct consequences or implications for either the participants themselves or those represented by the study

  Study into LTM won't have far reaching consequences, but research into criminality might

  Psychologists may have a social responsibility to carry out research (Aronson 1999)

  Researchers should face an awareness if the potential ethical issues and implications of their research and put in place strategies to deal with them
• Sieber and Stanley (1988)

  Choosing the research questions - Gender/race differences based on stereotypes (don't want to give credibility)

  Solution - Consider questions carefully, if there are genuine differences, frame them appropriately

  Weigh up risks/benefits of study before doing it
• Methodology

  • Validity - scientists may be aware of false findings or poor methodology, but the media won't. Poor research may therefore influence policies that are discriminatory
  • Issues with harm/confidentiality/deception
  • Institution - who are the researchers working for? Do they have an agenda?
  • Solution - submit research proposal to ethical committee, exercise author rights, engage with social media
• Analysis

  • Used for later funding, implications, social policy, etc
  • Solution - researchers should be open about their biases and assumptions in the paper (reflexivity). Be alert to misuse of findings, particularly in the media
• Strengths

  • Duty to find the truth/advance science
  • Help understand marginalised groups
  • Gives the minority a voice
  • Encourages societal understanding, compassion and acceptance
• Weaknesses

  • Poorly constructed research can lead to prejudice
  • Biased interpretation of findings can lead to discrimination
  • It has led to the social policy of the 1920s sterilising of the poor
  • Research on race and IQ leads to and encourages an inappropriate sympathy for eugenics
  • Bowlby's focus on the mother caused guilt and shame for choosing to work

  Arguably the potential for harm and misuse outweighs the benefits