ethical implications of research studies and theory

• 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
• Ethical implications - concern consequences that pshcyological research may have
• Possible implications include


  
  

  • Participants affected directly due to taking part in the research, eg participants directly suffering due to lack of protection from harm
  • Public being inlfuenced by publication of psychological findings - includes public forming negative stereotypes or having harmful stereotypes reinfocced about minority group or organisation
  • Groups studied may suffer bias or discrimination due to public awareness of harmful psychology research
  • Government bodies may use psych findings to develop policies and legislation that are. not in interest of the researched group.
• Dealing with socially sensitive research

  • Reflexivity - researchers should carefully consider their influential positiion, self reflect on personal biases, beliefs and values and assess how these may influence how they perform and report research
  • Seiber and Stanley say phrasing may affect answer
  • ethical issues should be considered eg informed consent
  • The way findings are used - researhers should be considered in advance how research findings may be used - it may impact on what data they actually collect
  • Peer review can help to ensure hrmful or misleading research is not published
• Examples of socially sensitive research

  • Attachment research
  • Milgram - germans aren't evil
  • Criminals not being fully responsible - could used biology to escape sentances
• Benefit for groups


  Can have benefits for the groups being studied

  Eg homosexuality - in 1952 DSM listed this as a 'sociopathic personality disorder' but finally removed it in 1973 - change crdited to the kinsey report which was based on anonymous interviews with over 5000 men about their sexual behaviour

  Report conlcuded that homosexuality is a typical expression of human sexual behaviour - also included data on interviews with 6000 women and caused outrage at the time because these were topics no one discussed

  --> illustrates importance of researchers tackling topics that are sensitive
• CP for benefit for groups

  Can sometimes be negative consequences eg criminal gene
• Cost beneift analysis, however the costs and benefit of research are only known for certain once research has been conducted and may only be clear many years after publication.

  Studies may have high short term costs and be controversial at publication but may be very valuable to future psychologists.
• w: poor research design

  this may lead to inaccurate findings which once public continue to have an impact

  eg burts research - 11+ still around even tho his research was fake

  --> findings should be valid