| What does ethical implications mena? | The impact of a piece of research once it has been completed.
How their research findings are represented in the media, the impact of their work on public policy, and how it may influence our perception of particular groups in society. |
| What is socially sensitive research? | Studies in which there are potential consequences or implications, either directly for the participants in the research or for the class of individuals represented by the research. |
| What does validity of research mean? | Some findings that were presented as objective in the past have turned out to be highly suspect, and in some cases, fraudulent. (actually subjective) |
| What does uses/public policy mean? | What is the research likely to be used for? And what would happen if it was used for the wrong purpose? |
| Strengths of ethical implications? | -Benefit the group being studied
-The DSM 1 listed homosexuality as a 'sociopathic personality disorder' but was removed in 1973, as a result of the Kinsey report
-Anonymous interviews with other 5000 men about their sexual behaviour concluded that homosexuality is a normal varient of human sexual behaviour
-Illustrates the importance of researchers tackling topics that are senistive. |
| Strength of ethical implication and socially sensitive research? | -Policy makers rely on socially sensitive research
-Government needs research when developing social policy related to child care, education, mental health provisions, crime
-Better to base policies on scientific researhc rather than politically-motivated views. Eg: the ONS are responisble for collecting, analysing and disseminating objective statistics about the UK economoy, society and population
-Means psychologists have a important role to play in providing high quality research on socially sensitive topics. |
| Weakness of socially sensitive research? | -Researchers avoiding it but it is not responisble
-Researchers could avoid SSR and that is what they seem to be doing
-The APA claimed that 95% of non-sensitive proposals are approved by only 50% of SSR. However, Sieber and Stanley advised that ignoring such topics is not responisble. Researchers could use a more reflexive appraoch
-Suggests that SSR can be ethical if researchers' bais form part of the finding. |
| A weakness of SRR? | -Poor research deisgn may have a long term impact
- Eg: Burt's research on IQ showed it is genetic, fixed, and apparent by age 11. This led to the 11+ exam which meant not all children had the same eductional opportunities
-Later research shown to be based on invented evidence but the system didn't change and continues in parts of the UK today
-Any SSR needs to be planned to the greatest care to ensure the findings are valid bc of the enduring effects on particular groups of people |
