ethical implications

• what are ethical implications?

  potential impact of psychological research and theory on individuals, groups and society
• what do ethical implications include?

  • direct effects on participants
  • broader social consequences
• issues & implications in milgram

  issues

  • deception, psychological harm and informed consent

  implications

  • normalised immoral obedience
• issues & implications in zimbardo

  issues

  • lack of protection from harm and dual roles

  implications

  • prison reform and downplaying individual responsibility
• issues & implications in loftus & palmer

  issues

  • deception

  implications

  • influenced legal procedures but undermined victims
• issues & implications of raine et al

  issues

  • biological determinism

  implications

  • reduces individual accountability
• implications of bowlby's monotropic theory

  • maternal guilt
  • socially sensitive implication
• what is socially sensitive research?

  negative consequences for individual or groups involved
• terms of socially sensitive research

  • public policy
  • stereotyping
  • stigma
  • discrimination
• who identified 4 main areas of concern?

  sieber & stanley
• 4 areas of concern

  1. research question
  2. methodology used
  3. institutional context
  4. interpretation & application of findings
• describe research question

  does it reinforce stereotypes?
• describe methodology used

  is research conducted ethically and sensitively?
• describe institutional context

  who is funding and using the research?
• describe interpretation & application of findings

  could findings be misinterpreted or applied harmfully?
• how does the ethics committee deal with implications?

  review research

  • cost-benefit analysis
  • protection from harm
  • issues of informed consent, confidentiality and right to withdraw
• how does peer review deal with implications?

  studies are reviewed by other experts

  • scientific rigour
  • clarity of interpretation
  • ethical or social issues in conclusion
• how does reflexivity deal with implications?

  researchers are self-aware about the influence of their own values, assumptions and biases

  • choice of topic
  • design of study
  • interpret and present results
• strength of ethical implications - safeguards

  subject to ethical review and peer evaluation

  • assess if benefits outweigh the risks
  • evaluate if findings could have negative social consequences
  • prevent unethical or harmful studies being conducted or shared
• weakness of ethical implications - social sensitivity

  misusing socially sensitive research

  • theories linking IQ to genetics used to support racist ideologies
  • responsibility of researcher extends to how findings are applied
  • handled with caution to avoid reinforcing stereotypes
• strength of ethical implications - reflexivity

  critical reflection of biases

  • assumptions influence collection, interpretation and communication of data
  • more likely to produce fair, ethical and socially responsible conclusions
  • improves validity and integrity