Ethical Implications

• Implications of Research


  Concequences of constructing theories and conducting research for the participants and the groups they represent
• Possible Ethical Implications:

  • Lack of protection
  • Public forming sterotypes
  • Groups studied suffering discrimination
  • Governments using psychological findings to develop harmful policies
• Social Sensitivity


  Studies in which there are potential consequences or implications, either directly for the participants in research or for the class of individuals represented
• Reflexivity


  Researchers should carefully consider own personal biases, beliefs, influential position and responsbility they have to be objective and conduct ethical research
• Care in Forming Research Questions

  Important groups studied aren't misrepresented/sterotyped
• Ethics Committees


  Using cost-benefit analysis to deicde if studies should go ahead, considering harms and benefits to the research
• Peer Review


  Ensuring potentially harmful or misleading research is not published
• (+/-) A03: True Implications

  Unknown true implications of costs and benefits arent known until after the research has been conducted and may only be clear many years after publication; short term costs but unknown long term impact
• (+/-) A03: Controversy


  Socially sensitive fields like sexuality and gender may put researchers off working in these fields, leading to minority groups being understudied by psychologists
• (+/-) A03: Socially Sensitive Examples

  • Bowlby's Theories of Attachment - pressure on mother to sacrifice career goals, minimising role of the father
  • Defining Abnormality Statistically - Those who just miss the statistical cut off may not recieve the help they need
  • Milgram's Obedience Research - Nazi Eichmann implications