Ethical implications

• Socially-sensitive research


  Any research that might have direct social consequences for the participants in the research or the group that they represent
• Bowlby's monotropic attachment theory led to Britain being one of the only countries in the EU not offering free childcare for children under the age of 5
• Burt's fraudulent research demonstrating a high heritability coefficient for intelligence played a significant part in the development of the 11+ examinations
• Socially sensitive research can be and has been used for malicious and unjust ends, such as justifying discriminatory practices
• Researchers should take responsibility for the presentation of findings from socially sensitive research to avoid potential misuse
• Ethics committees undergo a cost-benefit analysis when deciding whether certain socially sensitive research projects should be allowed to continue