Ethical implications - Dealing with socially sensitive research

Question 1

Recap - What is socially sensitive research?

Answer 1

Research that can have implications on the participants in the study or on the group of individuals that are being represented by the research.

Question 2

What is Reflexivity?

How can a research do this?

Answer 2

Researchers have a responsibility to be objective and conduct research ethically.

Self reflection
Should limit personal biases (Values/Beliefs).
Assess how their biases may influence their research.

Question 3

Why is it important to take care when forming research questions?

Answer 3

So the group being studied is not misrepresented.

Question 4

What are ethical issues in the design of studies?
How can the researcher deal with this?

Answer 4

Possible reactions of participants.

Researcher should effectively use Briefing and debriefing procedures.

It is important to do this if using harmful methods is unavoidable.

Question 5

What is an Ethics committee?

Answer 5

Makes the ultimate decision on if a study should go ahead.

Question 6

What reasonings can ethics committee’s go through before deciding if a study should go ahead?

Answer 6

Cost benefit analysis
Considering potential harms/benefits of the research on the participants and broader society.

Question 7

What should Psychologists consider the possibility of?

How can they deal with it ?

Answer 7

The media reporting findings in a biased/sensationalised way. (Misuse of findings)

When writing up research for publication they must explain their conclusions objectively and clarify limitations of their methods/conclusions.

Question 8

What can peer review help with?
Why?

Answer 8

Ensuring harmful/misleading research is not published.

Peer reviewers can check research is reported objectively and conclusions drawn can be justified from the data.

Conflicts of interest are made clear. (Sources of funding)

Question 9

What is an evaluation of researchers/ethics committees being expected to conduct cost-benefit analysis?

Answer 9

The true implications (Costs/benefits) may only be known after the research has been conducted or only made clear years after publication.

Can have short term benefit and long term cost.
Can have short term cost but long term benefit for future psychologists.

Question 10

1. What is an evaluation for socially sensitive research?
2. What should ethics committee’s do in response?

Answer 10

1. Topics like sexuality and gender may be open to more controversy.

When conducting research in these fields researchers may be put off studying these topics leaving theses topics unstudied.

2. Need to recognise the importance of research being conducted in socially sensitive areas.