Issues

• The issues are:

  • Science
  • Ethics
  • Usefulness
  • Social Sensitivity
• Science

  To be classed as a science, the following criteria must be reached:

  • Cause and effect (IVs and DVs)
  • Hypothesis testing and falsification
  • Replicability
  • Objectivity
  • Deduction and induction
  • Manipulation of variables
  • Control and standardisation
  • Quantifiable measurements
• A strength of scientific research is it promotes psychology as an academic subject- increasing its credibility. Data can also be seen as valid/ reliable.
• A weakness of scientific methods is they can reduce ecological validity, meaning they are not always representative of every day life.
• Ethics

  Ethics questions the moral implications of research.

  It is important that participants are treated in a fair and ethical way. The British Psychological Society issues ethical guidelines for those engaged in psychological research. These guidelines are a set of rules outlining what is acceptable and not acceptable in research.
• Unethical research allows you to study natural behaviour as participants are unaware of what you are studying..
• Unethical research can tarnish the reputation of psychology which can reduce future participation in research.
• Usefulness

  Psychological research can be useful in two ways:

  • Useful to psychology: If it increases academic knowledge about behaviours (especially those that are uncommon or impractical or unethical to manipulate).
  • Useful to society: If it can help us to understand how we can change aspects of society or individuals' behaviour for the good. Any practical applications are useful to everyone as they contribute to society.
• Research is useful if it provides knowledge. It can lead to useful practical applications and develops our understanding of behaviour.
• Research can lack usefulness if it lacks ecological validity/ has a sample which is not representative or affected by too many variables.
• Social Sensitivity

  Socially sensitive research can be defined as studies that have potential consequences or implications that go beyond the research for either:

  -Participants who took part

  -The groups that are seen to be represented in the research

  -The researchers and their institution

  Research may become socially sensitive based on the research question, the treatment of the participants, or the interpretation of findings.
• A strength of conducting socially sensitive research is that it can help to raise awareness of important behaviours/ issues/ topics that may need to be modified in the future.

  It can lead to useful practical applications/ understanding.
• A weakness of conducting socially sensitive research is that findings can be misinterpreted. This could subsequently have a negative effect on how a group of people are viewed or how their behaviour is explained. This could lead to labelling.