ethical implications of research studies / theory, social sensitivity

Question 1

what are ethical implications?

Answer 1

the consequences of psychological research (studies and theories) for
individuals, groups and wider society
(not the same as ethical issues)

Question 2

who can psychology have ethical implications on?

Answer 2

-the public
-social policy
-the economy
-politics
-legislation

Question 3

examples of research studies with ethical implications:

Answer 3

Milgram → the ppts were deceived and distressed

Question 4

who did Milgram’s study affect?

Answer 4

-the individuals in the study
-psychology as a whole

Question 5

the way Milgram’s study affected individuals:

Answer 5

-the participants were debriefed after the experiment and a follow-up interview took place a year later
-rhe outcome of these follow-up interviews suggested that the
participants had suffered no long-term effects

Question 6

the way Milgram’s study affected psychology as a whole:

Answer 6

the reputation of psychology was damaged

Question 7

examples of theories with ethical implications:

Answer 7

Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment → suggests that children form one
special attachment bond, usually with their mother, which must
take place within a critical period

Bowlby also suggested that this attachment bond affects their
future relationships through an internal working model

Question 8

who can Bowlby’s monotropic theory affect?

Answer 8

mothers → it has encouraged the view that a women’s place is at home with her children, which could make some mothers feel guilty for wanting to return to work, after
childbirth

Question 9

discussion point - ethical implications

Answer 9

some theories can have positive ethical implications

Question 10

some theories can have positive ethical implications

Answer 10

P - some theories can have positive ethical implications

E - Bowlby’s work has positively affected social policy
↳ MDH - Bowlby has led to hospital visiting hours that allows children to see their parents

L - ethical implications aren’t inherently negative

Question 11

what is socially sensitive research?

Answer 11

some psychological research is more controversial (about race, gender, criminality) and attracts more attention, research is socially sensitive if it has consequences on a social group

Question 12

who can socially sensitive research impact?

Answer 12

Sieber & Stanley state:

-members of the social group being studied (e.g. race, ethnic group)
-friends and relatives of those taking part in the study
-the research team
-the institution in which the research is conducted

Question 13

examples of effects on members of the social group being studied (e.g. race, ethnic group):

Answer 13

early research on IQ was used to discriminate against African Americans → test just before WWI which was used to select who would be a part of the teams, the effects are still lasting

Question 14

examples of effects on friends and relatives of those taking part in the study:

Answer 14

Genie’s mother was judged due to Genie’s mistreatment coming to light after she was found, however, Genie’s mother tried to help her

Question 15

examples of effects on the research team:

Answer 15

teams who research into gender are often criticised and have been ousted from universities

Question 16

examples of effects on the institution in which the research is conducted:

Answer 16

Stanford had a negative reputation following its association with to the SPE / Romanian orphanages affected institutions

Question 17

four aspects in the process of socially sensitive research that raise ethical implications:

Answer 17

Sieber & Stanley state:

-the research question
-the methodology used
-the institutional context
-interpretation and application of findings

Question 18

the research question (SSR)

Answer 18

-research that makes a group in its question is likely to be SSR
-the researcher must consider their research question carefully

Question 19

the methodology used (SSR)

Answer 19

-participants must be treated ethically
-the researcher needs to consider the treatment of the participant’s and their right to confidentiality and anonymity

Question 20

the institutional context (SSR)

Answer 20

-the researcher should be mindful of how the data is going to be used and consider who is funding the research
-id the research is funded by a private institution or organisation, why are they funding the research and how do they intend to use the findings?

Question 21

example of the institutional context (SSR)

Answer 21

the US navy funded the SPE to understand why there was conflict between guards and prisoners

Question 22

interpretation and application of findings (SSR)

Answer 22

-the researcher needs to consider
how their findings might be interpreted and applied in the real-world
-could their results be used to inform policy?

Question 23

how to reduce the impact of SSR:

Answer 23

-researchers should not avoid researching socially sensitive issues

-researchers need to be careful to ensure ethical treatment of ppts (consent, debriefs)

-they should be aware of how their findings may be interpreted &
used by others
-they should make the limitations of their research explicit (e.g. ‘the
study was only carried out on white middle class American male
students’,

Question 24

In a study of antisocial activity and social background, researchers
interviewed 100 children aged 14years. They then classified each
child according to their level of antisocial activity. They concluded
that 26 were ‘very antisocial’, 40 were ‘mildly antisocial’ and 34 were
‘not antisocial’. The researchers found that the majority of the ‘very
antisocial’ children attended Crayford secondary school, whereas
most of the other two groups of children attended another local
school.

1. What are some implications of this research?
2. How could these issues be dealt with?

Answer 24

1) Researchers should be aware of the implications of their research:
possible negative impact for the children in the sample; possible
negative implications of the research for the reputation of
Crayford school and the wider community; possible self-fulfilling
prophecy of children attending the school.

2. Dealing with the issue: Researchers should take adequate steps to counter the above: sensitive briefing/debriefing of participants,
   parents, teachers etc; care in relation to publication, disclosure of
   results and confidentiality/anonymity.

Question 25

discussion points - SSR

Answer 25

-despite the ethical implications associated with research into controversial topics, there can be benefits for the group who have been studied -socially sensitive research can lead to issues of discrimination for ethnic groups -SSR could have signigicant effects on social policy

Question 26

discussion / SSR - despite the ethical implications associated with research into controversial topics, there can be benefits for the group who have been studied

Answer 26

P - despite the ethical implications associated with research into controversial topics, there can be benefits for the group who have been studied E - one example of this is homosexuality / in the 1950s, the DSM listed this as a ‘sociopathic personality disorder’ but finally removed it in 1973 ↳ this change has been credited to the kinsey report (based on anonymous interviews with over 5000 men and 6000 women about their sexual behaviour → the report concluded that homosexuality is a typical expression of human sexual behaviour) ↳ the report caused outrage at the time L - this shows that SSR is important to challenge discrimination & stereotypes, and to support underrepresented groups

Question 27

discussion / SSR - socially sensitive research can lead to issues of discrimination

Answer 27

P - socially sensitive research can lead to issues of discrimination for ethnic groups E - research examining racial differences in IQ has been used to justify new (and often unwarranted) forms of social control ↳ e.g. between 1907 and 1963, over 64,000 individuals were forcibly sterilized under eugenic legislation in the US / & in 1972, the United States Senate Committee revealed that at least 2,000 involuntary sterilizations had been performed on poor black women without their consent or knowledge L - this was ‘justified’ by (flawed) research findings (e.g. Robert Yerkes) which argued that black Americans had lower IQ scores in comparison to white Americans

Question 28

discussion / SSR - SSR could have effects of social policy

Answer 28

P - SSR could have significant effects on social policy E - for example, research investigating the genetic basis of criminality has found there may be a ‘criminal gene’ ↳ this would suggest someone convicted could be excused on the basis that they have such as gene or because they cannot be held responsible for any wrongdoings L - this suggests that when researching socially sensitive topics, there is a need for a very careful consideration of the possible outcomes and their consequences