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ISSUES AND DEBATES- ethical implications and social sensitivity - Coggle…
ISSUES AND DEBATES- ethical implications and social sensitivity
socially sensitive research
research that could lead to negative concequences for either the people or the institutions participating directly in the research, or the group of people the research is about
implications of the research- what would happen to society due to our change in understanding? could its interpretation lead to discrimination? for example- if IQ was found to be entirely genetic and measured with a simple DNA test, would people be refused an education?
use of research- would the results be used in public policy to justify laws that harm the people studied or wider society? like if aggressive behaviours were shown to be due to a chemical imbalance that could be resolved by there being additives in food, would the government make these additives compulsary in all food?
validity of the research- are the findings a result of good methodology? like if we knew that research showing the negative effects of single gender families on attachment was carried out and financed from right wing religious groups, bias?
dealing with ethical issues
briefing and debriefing. offered counselling if stressful
publication- ananymity is vital
accepting ethical issues
ethics commitees- final decision to carry out ethically questionable research is carried out by a panel who judge the value of the research
cost-benefit analysis usually performed
BPS guidelines
representitive body for psychology and psychologists in the UK. responsible for the promotion of excellence and ethical practice in the science, eucation and application of the discipline
BPS provides a code of conduct and ethics that gives a range of guidance for psychologists but focuses on respect for privacy, confidentiality and wellbeing of participants and communities
evaluations of ethical implications and social sensitivity
NEGATIVE- excessive fears that researchers have about offending participants could lead to certain topics and groups not being researched. this ultimately could lead to worse lives for minority groups of people or people struggling with issues seen as "sensitive". for example- if correct childrearing methods is seen as a sensitive area of research then objective research that could demonstrate the benefits of child development of a particular style may not be conducted
POSITIVE- reputation of psychology. focus on ethical conduct like acting in accordance to BPS guidelines has improved the image of psychology as a scientific field of study- a reputation damaged by people like harlow and milgram. public is often only aware of the extreme nature of these studies and not the positive implications of their work. as scientific funding is often from public bodies, it may be beneficial to avoid controversial studies.
examples of socially sensitive research
definitions of abnormality- the statistical infrequency definition.
this definition creates a point decided by psychologists that somebody is defined as abnormal. the decision of where this point is can have significant impications such as if a person receives support. or in the case of some american states where someone below the IQ of 70 avoids the death penalty.
milgrams study on obedience to authority.
the extreme nature of this research long with the lack of ability to withdraw is thought to have caused harm to participants and would be unlikely to be carried out in the modern day. however, when Ps were interviewed post-experiment only a small number regretted taking part and the research has changed our perspective on social influence
Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation. much of this field of research places significant pressure on the mother to develop a strong attachment to babies and minimises the role of the father. this leads to emotional blackmail of the mother who may sacrifice her career and may affect the fathers relationship who could feel biologically incapable