Negative outcomes

• 1

  • However, unethical studies may have negative outcomes for society
  • Sieber and Stanley (1988) highlighted studies with potential social repercussions or implications, either directly for the participants or the class they represent.
  • Posing certain research questions about race, gender and sexuality can create socially sensitive research – research where findings can be used to promote prejudice and discrimination
• 2

  • Sieber and Stanley argue that avoiding such controversial subjects merely because they are contentious is shirking scientific responsibility and psychology has a duty to conduct such research
  • For example, Blumstein and Schwartz (1983) investigated the number of additional sexual partners in couples that had been together for more than 10 years
  • They found 22% of heretosexual wives, 30% of heretosexual husbands, 43% of lesbians, and 94% of gay men reported having sex with at least one other person otherthan their partner
  • This then impacts societal views on homosexuals
• 3

  • To mitigate the risk of data misuse, psychologists must take ownership of their findings
  • They should anticipate the possibility of research results being misused to fuel discrimination or reinforce prevailing prejudices
• 4

  • Some psychological research has been accused of alpha bias in the sense that it exaggerates differences between the sexes or between different cultures which could perpetuate stereotypes that often exist – e.g androcentric and ethnocentric
  • For example, psychologists who have replicated Milgram's research found that women are more obedient than men
  • Moreover, there is a danger that this could result in beta bias, where research underplays the differences between groups to appear more politically correct
  • For example, assuming women and men are equally prone to depression.