ethical implications

Question 1

What do psychologists aim to find through their research

Answer 1

Explanations of behaviour in the real-world

Question 2

Why can psychology research findings be controversial?

Answer 2

They often focus on abnormal behaviour and have real-world impacts

The sensitive nature of the findings can lead to societal debate.

Question 3

What term did Sieber & Stanley (1988) coin related to ethical considerations in research?

Answer 3

Socially sensitive research

This term emphasizes the importance of considering ethical implications in research

Question 4

ethical implications

Answer 4

Consequences affecting the rights of participants and/or the wider population

Ethical implications can arise from issues encountered during the research process.

Question 5

Define socially sensitive research

Answer 5

Research with social implications or consequences

This can relate to the findings, methods, or population studied.

Question 6

What type of implications do researchers focus on in socially sensitive research

Answer 6

Negative implications

While implications can be positive, the focus is predominantly on the negative aspects

Question 7

an example of ethical implications

Answer 7

Zimbardo’s study did not allow participants to withdraw promptly, leading to mental breakdowns

This highlights how ethical issues can affect participants long-term.

Question 8

ethical implications that arise from pharmaceutical company-funded drug testing

Answer 8

Potential bias in reporting findings due to personal interest

The company may prioritize profit over ethical reporting

Question 9

What does Bowlby’s monotropic theory suggest about children and their mothers

Answer 9

Children need uninterrupted maternal presence during the critical period

This theory affects societal views on working mothers and their emotional well-being.

Question 10

What ethical implications were associated with Milgram’s study

Answer 10

Research topic related to the Holocaust and ethical issues during the study

The potential long-term impact on participants raised ethical concerns

Question 11

What controversial aspects were present in Zimbardo’s study

Answer 11

Prison environment design and ethical issues like hunger strikes and breakdowns

These issues had long-term impacts on participants.

Question 12

What implication did Bowlby’s 44 thieves study suggest about criminality

Answer 12

Criminality is caused by a lack of attachment

This exposed child participants as criminals, detailing their life histories.

Question 13

strengths

Answer 13

✅ Protects participants and society
→ Example: Milgram’s study (Social Influence), despite criticisms, highlighted the need for ethical reforms in experimental research

Question 14

limitations

Answer 14

❌ May restrict valuable research
→ Example: Zimbardo’s prison study (Forensics) provided valuable insight into prison psychology but would now be considered ethically unacceptable.

❌ Unpredictable consequences
→ Example: Eysenck’s theory of criminality (Forensics), suggesting a biological cause of crime, risks negative social policy implications like profiling