Ethical implications of research studies and theory in Psychology (Issues and Debates)

Ethical implications of research studies and theory

ETHICAL ISSUES arise when there is a conflict between gaining valuable research and preserving the rights and dignity of participants.

ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS: the impact that research has on society, how it influences public policy and/or the way in which certain groups of people are perceived (especially participants).

SOCIALLY SENSITIVE RESEARCH is any research that may be controversial, and it often confronts taboo topics such as sexuality or race.

IMPLICATIONS OF SOCIALLY SENSITIVE RESEARCH:
Socially sensitive research may be seen as giving ‘scientific’ credibility to prejudice and discrimination, and can be used to justify public policy (eg. be adopted by the government for political means).

Caughy et al (1994) found that middle class children put into daycare at an early age generally score less on cognitive tests than children from similar families reared in the home. This is socially sensitive as it may stop mothers putting their children into daycare or cause people to ‘look down on’ those who do.

LINKS TO OTHER TOPIC AREAS:

Schizophrenia: Any research on psychopathology is potentially socially sensitive as it could affect the individual with SZ, the family or general society. The ‘sticky label’ of having a mental health condition can have long lasting effects on work prospects, social relationships and self-esteem.

Cognition and development: There has been research that has implicated parenting style in the development of autism (this has been refuted but...) this is socially sensitive as it could negatively impact the way in which parents of autistic suffers are viewed.

Evaluation…

P: Scarr (1988) argues that only by studying socially sensitive areas and underrepresented groups will we promote a greater sensitivity and understanding of these.
E: This can help reduce prejudice and encourage acceptance
E: This suggests that research into socially-sensitive topics can have significant benefits for society if conducted correctly.

P: Socially sensitive research can lead to issues of discrimination and therefore some psychologists would argue against conducting this form of research.
E: For example, between 1907 and 1963, over 64,000 individuals were forcibly sterilised under eugenic legislation in the USA, and in 1972, the United States Senate Committee revealed that at least 2,000 involuntary sterailisations had been performed on poor black women without their consent or knowledge.
E: This could have been ‘justified’ at the time by (flawed) research findings (eg. Robert Yerkes) which argued that black Americans had lower IQ scores in comparison to white Americans, highlighting a serious issue with socially sensitive research.

P: It is important to recognize that not all socially sensitive research is controversial and some is desirable and beneficial to society.
E: For example, research examining eye-witness testimonies, especially the use of child witnesses (eg. Flin et al) has found that young children can be reliable witnesses if they are questioned in a timely and appropriate manner
E: In this area, socially sensitive research has resulted in a good working relationship between psychologists and the legal profession to help improve the accuracy and validity of child eye-witnesses.