Peer review + psychological research + economy

• what is a peer review?AO1

  this involves the assessment of scientific work by experts in the particular field where they scrutinise the written investigation and conduct an objective review which is unknown to the author / researcher
• what are the main aims of peer review? AO1

  • To know which research is worthwhile hence funding can be allocated to it
  • validate the relevance , accuracy quality of research = important to prevent fraudulent research from being released to the public
  • suggest possible improvements or amendments sometimes can be concluded as inappropriate for publication and should be withdrawn
• how is anonymity a problem?AO3

  • Reviewers sometimes use it to bury rivals, especially if they're in direct competition for limited research funding
  • = anonymity affects the objectivity of reviewers
  • open review avoids this problem
• how is there publication bias involved in peer review?AO3

  Editors tend to prefer to publish ‘headline grabbing’ findings and positive results (file drawer problem) to increase credibility and circulation of their publication

  • = causes a misconception of the current state of psychology as not all info is published
• Burying opposing research A03:

  • any research that opposes mainstream / established theories tends to be suppressed
  • reviewers tend t be more critical with contradicting work and more favourable to research that matches it
  • findings that tend to align with the established order = more likely to be published
  • this slows down the rate of change in a particular scientific discipline
• how does psychology research improved the economy?

  able to present solutions for problems such as mental health as the absence from work has cost the UK 15 million pounds
• what element of psychopathology helped the economy?

  treatments such as CBT , REBT for depression and drug therapy for OCD has made workers able to return to work
• what element of attachment helped the economy?

  Role of the father has allowed:

  • Mothers can return to work
  • More flexible working arrangements within families
  • maximise their income and effectively contribute to the economy
• what element of social influence helped the economy?

  Social influence leading to social change - Minority influence, appealing to NSI, disobedient models , helped the economy bc:

  • Health campaigns
  • Unions strike- make working conditions better
  • Environmental campaigns
• what element of social influence helped the economy?

  How leading questions or post event discussion can affect eyewitness testimony which has Led to police using the cognitive interview which reduces wrongful conviction = reduces waste of money and space in jail