Ethical Implications of Research

• Ethical Implications


  - the consequence of any research in terms of the effects of individual participants or the way certain groups are regarded

  
  

  - also includes consequences on a wider societal level
• Social Sensitivity


  - (Sieber and Stanley, 1988) 'studies in which there are potential consequences or implications, either directly for the participants in the research or for the class of individuals represented by the research'.
• Implications for the Research Process

  - research has potential consequences but this applies to socially sensitive research in particular
• Research Question


  - (Sieber & Stanley, 1988) the way research questions are phrased and investigated may influence the way that findings are interpreted

  
  

  - e.g. (Kitzinger & Coyle, 1995) research into relationships has been guilty of a form of 'heterosexual bias' - comparing a judging homosexual relationships to heterosexual ones
• Dealing with Participants


  - issues such as informed consent. confidentiality and psychological harm are especially important in socially sensitive research

  
  

  - e.g. a study on domestic abuse participants may worry an ex-partner will find out about the study making it hard for them to describe their experiences

  
  

  - such participants may provide informed consent at the start of the study but not fully understand the effect of research
• How Findings Used


  - research should consider in advance how research findings may be used which may impact what data is actually collected

  
  

  - this is important as findings may be seen as giving scientific credence to existing prejudices such as studies investigating the ethnic basis of intelligence

  
  

  - sensitive information is also what tends to get media attention and publicity:

  . e.g. Adrian Owen's research on people in a minimally conscious state received enormous media attention for his contact with people thought 'unreachable
• Benefits for Groups


  - socially sensitive research may benefit the group being studied

  
  

  - e.g. in 1952 the DSM-1 listed homosexuality as a 'sociopathic personality disorder' but finally removed it in 1973

  
  

  - this was credited to the Kinsey report which was based on anonymous interviews with over 5,000 men about the sexual behaviour

  
  

  - interviews were also conducted with 6,000 women and it was concluded that homosexuality was a typical expression of human sexual behaviour

  
  

  - this illustrates the importance of researchers tackling topics that are sensitive
• Benefits for Groups: Counterpoint

  - studies could also have negative consequences for those being studied

  
  

  - e.g. research into the genetic basis of criminality found a 'criminal gene' (The Mobley Defence)

  
  

  - this could potentially lead to convictions or exoneration on the basis of genetics

  
  

  - this suggests that when researching socially sensitive topics there is a need for careful consideration of possible outcomes and their consequences
• Real-World Application


  - policy makers rely on research on socially sensitive issues

  
  

  - e.g. decisions related to child care, education, mental health provisions and crime etc.

  
  

  - basing policies on research rather than politically-motivated views

  
  

  - for this reason the UK there are independent groups such as the ONS who are responsible for collecting, analysing and disseminating objective statistics

  
  

  - psychologists have an important part to play in proving high quality research on socially sensitive research
• Poor research Design


  - poor research design may lead to erroneous findings which once released to public can continue to have an impact

  
  

  - e.g. (Burt, 1995) fabricated findings in twins studies which led to the formation of 11+ exams, even after he was exposed the 11+ was still used as a selection tool

  
  

  - similarly access to many independent schools is based on entrance exams which likely use the same reasoning; genetic potential has revealed itself by this age

  
  

  - therefore socially sensitive research need to be planned carefully to ensure findings are valid because of the enduring effects on particular groups of people
• To Do or Not to Do

  - one way to deal with socially sensitive research is to avoid doing it

  
  

  - the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that ethical committees approved 95% of non-sensitive proposals that don't have ethical problems

  
  

  - meanwhile sensitive proposals were only approved 50% of the time

  
  

  - (Seiber & Stanley) ignoring such topics is not a responsible approach, one way of conducting socially sensitive research is reflexivity (reflecting on how personal beliefs effect the research process)