Ethical:

• STRENGTH:

  • Benefits for the group who have been studied
  • One example of this is homosexuality. In 1952 the DSM-1 listed this as a 'sociopathic personality disorder' but finally removed it in 1973
  • This change has been credited to the Kinsey report which was based on anonymous interviews with over 5000 men about their sexual behaviour
  • Concluded that homosexuality is a typical expression of human sexual behaviour

  This illustrates the importance of researchers tackling topics that are sensitive
• COUNTERPOINT

  • However in some studies there could be negative consequences for the groups being studied, which in some cases could have been anticipated
  • For example research investigating the genetic basis of criminality has found that there is a 'criminal gene'
  • If this is true does it mean that someone could be convicted on the basis that they have such a gene or should they be excused because they cannot be held responsible for any wrongdoing?

  Suggests when researching socially sensitive topics, there is a need for very careful consideration of the possible outcomes and their consequences
• +

  • Some groups rely on research related to socially sensitive issues
  • Government looks to research when developing important social policies ie decisions related to crime
  • It's preferable to base such decisions on scientific research rather than politically-motivated views
  • This reason the UK there're independent groups ie the ONS who describe themselves as being responsible for collecting objective statistics about the UK's economy, society and population
  • Data is used in psychological research

  Psychologists= important role in providing high quality research on socially sensitive topics