Ethical costs of research

• Ethical costs of conducting research

  • benefits to economy - research on psychoactive drugs for treatment of mental health such as addiction,McCrone reported estimated direct costs of mental health in uk was around £22.5 billion a year, evidence based research on effective drug therapies are important in reducing costs & returning people to work
  • benefits to society - Bowlbys study on attachment & separation from mother opened eyes to importance of emotional care in early development, aided development of policies ensuring children grow into productive members of society
• ethical costs of conducting research

  • individual participants - research depends on individuals who're willing to take part, welfare of these individuals is to be taken into consideration to potential benefits of society. Watson & Rayner (1920) - little albert study to show emotions can be learned. Study had high cost to the participants (little albert was 9 months when study started) & deliberately subjected to psychological harm that could've lasted a lifetime
• Ethical costs of conducting research

  • potentially negative to society - Sieber & Stanley (1988), drew special attention to which there's potential social consequences/ implications either directly to participants or class of individuals represented by researcher. Asking the question 'is there racial difference in IQ?' damaging to particular racial group as appears to add scientific credibility
  • solution = avoid socially sensitive research avoid homosexuality , race, gender etc as findings may have negative consequences for participants for section of society they represent/ whole society
• ethical costs of conducting research

  • risk management techniques - manage ethical risks through development of professional guidelines for conduct of their studies. In Britain psychologists are bound by by guidelines of british psychological society (code of ethics & conduct ( BPS,2009)
  • four core principles - respect,competence,responsibility & integrity
  • BPS also advises on specific situations and give instructions by whats appropriate