Ethical implications

• Ethical implications


  Ethical issues arise when there is conflict between the reseachers need to gain validity and preserve the rights of the participants.

  Sp ethical guidelines were established. But this doesnt solve the socal impact on the participants after the study has been conducted. And how the findings will be represented in the media and effect the work and perception of some social groups.
• Social Sensitivity


  Some research is more social sensitive than others. Eg cognitive research into long term memory will be less likely to produce damaging consequences. However a research investigating the genetic basis of criminality will. This is because they attract attention from the media and public.

  But this shouldn't stop the research from being done as psychologists have a social responsibility to carry it out.
• Social sensitivity research


  Liz stanly identified concerns that research's should be mindful of.
• Implications


  Wider effects of the research
• Uses and public policy

  What the research is likely to be used for. And what wouldn't happen if it was used wrong
• Validity of the research

  Some findings which appear as objective and value-free have turned out to be highly suspect and sometimes fake e.g. Burt's research of IQ

  Some modern social constructionists tackle social sensitivity are more upfront about their bias
• A03: benefits of social sensitivity research

  Scarr argues studies that are of the underrepresented groups will increase social sensitivity but also increase the understanding of these groups. Also benefitted society eg research into the reliability of eyewitness testimony- reducing the risk of miscarriages of justice.
• A03: framing the question

  Stanly warned that the way research questions are phrased and investigated may impact the way the findings are interpreted

  Eg how cross-cultural research can be spoiled by ethnocentrism.

  Coyle noted how research into alternative relationships can form heterosexual bias, where same sex relationships were judged by hetrosexual norms.

  so such research needs to be open minded and prepared to have ideas challenged to avoid misinterpretation.
• A03 who gains?


  the research has been used to shape social policy without fully considering the effects of the environment on characteristics. research can still be seen as harmless and have socially sensitive consequences. eg: a study that made coke and popcorn sales increase as a result of showing them at cinema's, when conducting a study on persuasive effects of subliminal messages. but the findings were fake.

  had ethical implications but little damage done