Ethical Implications

• Ethical implications


  The impact that research has on society, how it influences public policy and/or the way in which certain groups of people are seen.Ethical issues arise when there is aconflict between gaining valuable research and preserving the rights and dignity of participants.ethical guidelines were established tohelp protectthose involved in research.
• What is socially sensitive research?

  Any research that may be controversial.Socially sensitive research may be seen as giving 'scientific' credibility to prejudice and discrimination, and can be used to justify public policy.
• Sieber and Stanley


  Have identified 4 ways in which psychology research can become socially sensitive which could lead to a variety of ethical implications.RATS
• R - Research


  Research question can be socially sensitive and have ethical implications:For example, a researcher may be interested in the cause of schizophrenia so set out to test if there is an association between the condition and cold parenting style.The could make parents feel like they are to blameif their child develops schizophrenia. This could stop them from getting help and support for their son/daughter as they feel like 'bad parents'.
• A - Agenda


  We should consider the agenda and who is funding the research. How is that organisation planning to USE the data?Murrayand other psychologists carried out research into race and IQ and received funding of3 million dollars by a group who were described as racist white supremacists. It claimed that black people had lower IQ than white people in the USA. This was most likely due to the fact IQ tests are ethno-centric and black people are more likely to experience poverty.
• T - Treatment


  We should consider the treatment of participants.When researching sensitive areasthe confidentiality of the participants must be maintained before, during and after the process. The research could attract attention from the mass media who may invade the privacy of those participants involved. They may pay for their story.For exampleDavid Reimer(Gender) went public with his story about having his sex changed as a baby. This media exposure would have put extra pressure on him which may have contributed in part to his suicide which can be considered an ethical implication.
• S - Sinister


  We should consider the sinister use of research findings.Research findings may be used for purposes other than they originally intended.For example anextreme right wing Government could use this research to support the use of eugenicsand the sterilisation of aggressive people/criminals in order to reduce amount the Government spending on prison. This was evidenced in Nazi Germany with attempts to "cleanse" German society viewed as biological threats to the nation's health.