Ethical Implications

• define ethical implications

  Ethical implications consider the impact or consequences that psychological research has on the rights of other people in a wider context, not just the participants taking part in the research.
• define social sensitivity

  Sieber and Stanley (1988) used the term social sensitivity to describe studies where there are potential social consequences for the participants or the group of people represented by the research.
• give an example of ethical implications of research studies

  • in milgrams research, The participants were deceived and were unable to give fully informed consent. The experiment also caused significant distress, and the participants were told or coerced to continue against their will. On the other hand, the participants were debriefed after the experiment and a follow-up interview took place a year later. The outcome of these follow-up interviews suggested that the participants had suffered no long-term effects.
• give an example of ethical implications of theories

  • Bowlby’s theory of attachment suggests that children form one special attachment bond, usually with their mother, which must take place within a critical period. Bowlby also suggested that this attachment bond affects their future relationships through an internal working model. While Bowlby’s theory has contributed to the development of childcare practices, it has also encouraged the view that a women’s place is at home with her children, which could make some mothers feel guilty for wanting to return to work following childbirth.
• what are the four aspects in scientific process that raise ethical implications? (1)

  1. The Research Question: The researcher must consider their research question carefully. Asking questions like ‘Is intelligence inherited?’ may be damaging to members of a particular group.
  2. The Methodology Used: The researcher needs to consider the treatment of the participants and their right to confidentiality and anonymity. For example, if someone admits to committing a crime, or to having unprotected sex if they are HIV positive, should the researcher maintain confidentiality?
• evaluation of socially sensitive research

  • Current ethical guidelines are focused on the direct effects of research practice on participants, but may not address the other ways that research might inflict harm on people in society. For example, the current ethical guidelines do not require researchers to consider how their findings may be used by other people to form and shape public social policy. it's recommended that researchers should consider this when interpreting and applying their findings, to ensure that psychological research does no indirect harm to other members of society.
• evaluation of socially sensitive research

  • Socially sensitive research can lead to issues of discrimination and therefore some psychologists would argue against conducting this form of research. e.g. research examining racial differences in IQ has been used to justify new (and often unwarranted) forms of social control. For example, between 1907 and 1963, over 64,000 individuals were forcibly sterilized under legislation in the US, and in 1972, it was revealed that at least 2,000 involuntary sterilizations had been performed on poor black women without their consent or knowledge.
• evaluation of socially sensitive research

  • The issues with conducting socially sensitive research are why some psychologists suggest that we should avoid conducting such research, and steer clear of topics, including ethnicity, gender and sexuality. Some psychologists believe that such research could have a negative impact. A more acceptable solution might be for psychologists to engage more actively with policy makers after the publication of their findings to help reduce the likelihood that data is misused and to ensure that evidence-based research is used in socially sensitive ways.
• evaluation of socially sensitive research

  • it is important to recognise that not all socially sensitive research is controversial and some is desirable and beneficial to society. For example, research examining eye-witness testimony, especially the use of child-witnesses has found that young children can be reliable witnesses if they are questioned in a timely and appropriate manner. In this area, socially sensitive research has resulted in a good working relationship between psychologists and the legal profession to help improve the accuracy and validity of children eye-witnesses.
• what are the four aspects in scientific process that raise ethical implications? (2)

  1. The Institutional Context: The researcher should be mindful of how the data is going to be used and consider who is funding the research. If the research is funded by a private institution or organisation, why are they funding the research and how do they intend to use the findings?
  2. Interpretation and Application of Findings: Finally, the researcher needs to consider how their findings might be interpreted and applied in the real-world. Could their data or results be used to inform policy?