Ethical implications & socially sensitive research

• What is the definition of ethical implications?

  This is the concern for the consequences that psychological research may have for individual participants, the broader social groups that the participants represent and/or for social policy.
• What is the definition of social sensitivity?

  Sieber and Stanley define socially sensitive research as ‘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’. Some areas of psychological research have greater social sensitivity than others e.g. depression.
• What was Cyril Burt influential in establishing?

  The 11+ exam.
• What was Burt's 11+ exam?

  It was an exam that determines what type of secondary school a child goes to (grammar school or other), a decision which arguably has a significant impact on their later life opportunities.
• The government at the time of Burt's 11+ exam based their policies on Burt’s twin studies which showed that intelligence was highly heritable and could be detected by age 11.
• Later it was revealed that much of Burt's data was fake, including two ‘imaginary’ research assistants and he was publicly discredited. The 11+ however, and the idea that children should be separated on the basis of their ‘natural’ intelligence remained for many years and is still used by some schools today.
• What three key things do Psychologists have to consider in regards to social sensitivity when planning a study?

  • The research question: What does the way that the research questions are phrased and investigated influence?
  • Dealing with the participants: What is especially important in socially sensitive research?
  • The way that the findings are used: What might this impact? Why is this important? Who may wish to use it?