Ethical Implications of Studies and Theories

• Socially sensitive research can benefit society. For example, the effect that culture bias can have on the diagnosis of schizophrenia with regards to auditory hallucinations experienced by African and West Indian individuals. It can promote greater sensitivity and understanding of underrepresented groups and issues. This helps reduce prejudice and encourage acceptance demonstrating there are positive outcomes of socially sensitive research. 
• Socially sensitive research can prevent miscarriages of justice within the legal system. Research into the unreliability of eyewitness testimony specifically the case of Ronald Cotton shows that socially sensitive research plays a valuable role in society and is a positive consequence. This is even though the research may have had a negative impact on those individuals who had been eyewitnesses in trials. 
• Socially sensitive research has been used to support discriminatory practices. In America during the 1920’s and 1930’s, many US states approved laws that led to the compulsory sterilisation of citizens that were deemed to be “feeble-minded” and were drains on society. This was based on research from psychology and science that had suggested such people were “unfit to breed”. This shows that socially sensitive research has negative impacts as it has been used inappropriately to “support” discriminatory practices. 
• The realisation that there are issues regarding the ethical implications of socially sensitive research has meant that researchers are more reflexive. This includes thinking more about what the research findings are likely to be used for. As a result, it can make researcher’s take more responsibility for their findings and ensure that the work that they do, does not lead to abuse or discrimination. 
• It is important that psychologists are free to carry out whatever research seems important to them. It is problematic if governments start passing laws to prohibit certain kinds of research, for example race-related research, due to there being issues of social sensitivity. There is a real danger that research will be stopped for political rather than for ethical reasons. Researchers may just need to be mindful that the benefits of the socially sensitive research must outweigh the costs.