Issues & Debates : Ethics

Question 1

What is an ethical study?

Answer 1

Gain valid research findings that can help individuals and society while preserving the rights and dignity of research participants.

Question 2

What some consequences you have to consider?

Answer 2

Consequences to individual (how it effects personal life), wider social group (how it effects those with the thing your studying), social policy (how it effects treatments, etc)

Question 3

What is socially sensitive research (SSR)?

Answer 3

Sieber & Stanley (1998): “studies where there are potential consequences/ implications, either directly for the Ps in the research or for the class of individuals represented by the research”

Question 4

What are the British Psychological Society (BPS) guidelines?

Answer 4

• Respect
• Competence
• Responsibility
• Integrity

Question 5

What are some ethical issues which happen when the rules are broken?

Answer 5

• Privacy
• Confidentiality
• Valid methodology
• Deception
• Informed consent
• Equitable treatment
• Scientific freedom
• Ownership of data
• Values and the risk/benefit ratio.

Question 6

Sieber and Stanley (1988)’s recommendations : What are they?

Answer 6

• Awareness of Potential Consequences
• Collaboration with Targeted Groups
• Careful Framing of Research Questions
• Ethical Reflexivity
• Dissemination of Findings

Question 7

Sieber and Stanley (1988)’s recommendations : Awareness of Potential Consequences

Answer 7

Researchers should be fully aware of potential consequences, for the Ps and groups that the research concerns. This includes considering how the findings might be misused/ misinterpreted to harm specific groups.

Question 8

Sieber and Stanley (1988)’s recommendations : Collaboration with Targeted Groups

Answer 8

Researchers should work closely with members of groups who may be affected by research. This helps to ensure that the research is respectful and sensitive to needs/ perspectives of these groups.

Question 9

Sieber and Stanley (1988)’s recommendations : Careful Framing of research questions

Answer 9

The way research questions are framed can influence the interpretation and impact of research. Sieber and Stanley recommended that researchers carefully consider how they pose their questions to avoid reinforcing stereotypes or contributing to stigma.

Question 10

Sieber and Stanley (1988)’s recommendations : Ethical reflexivity

Answer 10

Researchers should engage in ethical reflexivity, reflecting on ethical implications of their work throughout the process. This involves following ethical guidelines and thinking critically about the broader social impact of the research.

Question 11

Sieber and Stanley (1988)’s recommendations : Dissemination of Findings

Answer 11

Researchers should consider how they disseminate their findings, such as how these findings might be used by others. They should ensure that the dissemination doesn’t contribute to harm, misinterpretation, or misuse of the research.

Question 12

Examples of ethical issues in research - Cyril Burt – IQ and 11+

Answer 12

Burt’s twin research (investigated the genetic influence of IQ- heritability coefficient of 0.77). This influenced creation of the 11+ exam (1944-1976) which led to generations of educational outcomes being determined by a test. The research by Burt was later discredited as fraudulent.

Question 13

Examples of ethical issues in research - Bowlby – Attachment Theory

Answer 13

Suggests children form one special attachment bond, (usually mother), and suggests this attachment bond affects future relationships. This encouraged 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. It also devalues role of the father and could influence social policy.

Question 14

Examples of ethical issues in research - ** Murray’s book – The Bell Curve (1994)**

Answer 14

reported on racial differences in IQ scores in USA. They claimed that African-Americans scored lower on average vs white people on the IQ test, leading to prejudice and stereotyping.

Question 15

Strengths of ethics considerations…

Answer 15

• Better understanding of issues like gender, race and sexuality → SSR beneficial for society is sexuality, research by Kinsey et al (1948), led to removal of sociopathic personality disorder in 1973 from the 1952 version of the DSM. This version stated homosexuality was a psychological disorder.
• Psychologists have devised methods to solve ethical issues raised in SSR → SSR is most scrutinised research in psychology with ethical committees rejecting more SSR vs any other form of research. According to the American Psychological Association, there is only 50% acceptance rate vs 95% of non SSR studies

Question 16

Limitations of ethics considerations…

Answer 16

• (Use of ethics committees in SSR) when deciding if SSR should proceed, the committee may not have all the info to understand the impact of the research → Ethics committees perform a cost-benefit analysis, weighing the potential benefits (contributions to knowledge) against the ethical costs (harm to Ps/ societal implications), but this can be problematic as some ethical repercussions (those relating to how research might influence public perception/ legislation) are difficult to foresee
• Significant negative implications with long term impact (particularly when misused to justify discriminatory practices) → For example, in 1920s and 1930s, some U.S. states implemented voluntary sterilization programs targeting individuals deemed “unfit to breed,” (mentally ill, disabled, and drug addict)