Socially Sensitive Research

Question 1

What does Socially Sensitive Research refer to?

Answer 1

• Do the findings of research have implications that go beyond the research situation and affect people or groups in wider society? (e.g. families of participants, minority groups)

Question 2

What do the A01 and A03 Points talk about when discussing Socially Sensitive Research?

Answer 2

A01: Knowledge on theories and research that have socially sensitive implications

A03: Strengths and Weaknesses of the explanations

Question 3

What topics are looked at in the Cognitive Approach when discussing Socially Sensitive Research?

Answer 3

Case Studies of Brain Damaged Patients
Schmolk
Baddeley – Surprise retest

Question 4

What is looked at in Brain Damaged Patients regarding Socially Sensitive Research?

Answer 4

Brain damaged patients arguably cannot provide full informed consent, due to their brain functioning being abnormal

However the benefits seem to outweigh the costs as we know a lot more about how brain functioning leads to certain behaviours (e.g. Raine’s study, Schmolck’s study and HM)

Question 5

What is looked at in Schmolck regarding Socially Sensitive Research?

Answer 5

Brain damaged patients (3 enncaphalitis, 2 damaged hippocampus, HM) cant consent to the findings

Helped develop an understanding of the link between damage to the anterolateral temporal cortex and semantic knowledge/memory, which is linked to dementia that affects around 1.3% of the UK population

Question 6

What is looked at in Baddeley regarding Socially Sensitive Research?

Answer 6

Baddeley gave ppts a surprise retest which they weren’t expecting. Therefore they couldn’t consent, were deceived, etc

However, the findings helped develop an understanding of the STM and LTM

Question 7

What is looked at in the Social Approach regarding Socially Sensitive Research?

Answer 7

Milgram
Burger
Sherif
Personality Factors into obedience + prejudice
Social Identity Theory
Realistic Conflict Theory

Question 8

Milgram?

Answer 8

He put people in harm through them believing they were giving real shocks to someone, which led them to be verbally distressed
He somewhat took away their right to withdraw. Also he deceived them, etc

However all of this was to reduce the demand characteristics, and see how people act in every day life. This also helped him develop agency theory. It’s also was backed up by the real life example of Oskar Groening in nazi germany

Question 9

Burger?

Answer 9

Burgers 2009 study was a lot more ethical than locums, because they carried out anxiety and depression inventory, reminded them three times that they could withdraw, and only went up to 150v rather than 450 V

However because it was so ethical, it simplified obedience within a natural context

Also, they still prodded them on to not withdraw which sort of reduced their rights

Question 10

Sherif?

Answer 10

He is the naturalistic study looking at 22 11 to 12-year-old boys, which involved aggression and violence

When they won competitions, the boys would receive knives.
Late interviews suggest that they knew what was going on, and were prodded on by the researchers to act aggressively. Facts happening in the first place is socially sensitive, because they were encouraged to act aggressively which may affect them in the future as they might believe it’s okay to act aggressively

However this insight into a prejudice involving aggression shows how it can go when two groups are fighting for a subordinate goal. Also the jigsaw technique program was based off of this study and realistic conflict theory, meaning it was used to reduce chances of this happening in society