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Ethical implications of research studies and theory (consider the impact…
Ethical implications of research studies and theory (consider the impact or consequences that psychological research has on the rights of other people in a wide context)
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A03
S:
Because there are difficulties with socially sensitive research, we might think that it would be better to try to avoid it and save minority groups from the negative consequences.
Scarr (1988) has argued that studies of underrepresented groups and issues may generate a greater sensitivity and understanding of these areas which can also create wider benefits for society
Sieber and Stanley believe that to ignore sensitive research is not a responsible approach to science. They suggest that avoiding controversial topics is an avoidance of responsibility.
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Many groups in society (e.g. persons with disabilities, the elderly, the disadvantaged and members of minority cultures) have suffered the consequences of having been excluded from research or have been misrepresented when they have been included.
Because they have suffered misrepresentation, they may have also missed out on the benefits of research.
Furthermore, there is also the increased potential for a more indirect impact on the participant’s family, their co-workers, or maybe even the group that the participant represents (e.g. addicts, women, the elderly and so on).
Researchers must therefore go beyond safeguarding the interests of the individual in research and take into consideration the likely impact of the research on the larger group of which the participant is a member.
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When researching topics that are socially sensitive it is also important that psychologists to think of the potential impact this research might have rather than avoiding conducting the research.
This is because if governments start passing laws to prohibit certain kinds of research (e.g. race-related research), then there is a real danger that research will be stopped for political rather than for ethical reasons.
To be able to deal with this issue and ensure that socially sensitive research does continue to positively impact the lives of people in society. A more acceptable solution might be for Psychologists to engage more actively with policy makers after the publication of their findings to reduce the likelihood that their data is misused and to ensure that evidence-based research does not have a negative impact on wider society and create stereotypes.
This suggests that if researchers and policy makers are mindful of socially sensitive research and appropriate measures are put in place to protect individuals and the wider community from socially sensitive research.