Conducting Socially Sensitive Research PDF

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Psychology Revision for Component 2 OCR...

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Conducting Socially Sensitive Research Conducting socially sensitive research - should psychologists refrain from investigating topics that are especially socially sensitive or whatever doing so is the only way to challenge prejudices and arrive at the truth.

1. Principles and Concepts: 1. When conducting psychological research those involved need to be aware of the implications of doing so for both those in the research and for wider society 2. Psychologists need to be conscious of the implications of researching particular topics that may be deemed controversial, such as the cause of homosexuality, as well as how any findings they may gather could be used in wider society 3. Often research is used to shape public policy and more informally it feeds the media headlines, both of which can have quite an impact on both individuals and groups in society

2. Different positions within the debate Research is likely to be socially sensitive if:    

Highly personal or private topic Focus on deviant behaviour Questions authority Questions anything sacred

3. Research to illustrate different positions within each debate Study Milgram (obedience) Bocchiaro (disobedience) Piliavin (subway Samaritan) Levine (cross cultural altruism) Loftus and Palmer (eyewitness testimony) Bandura (aggression) Kohlberg (moral development) Lee (lying and truth-telling) Sperry (split brain) Casey (delay of gratification) Freud (little Hans) Gould (IQ testing) Hancock (language of psychopaths)

What makes research socially sensitive?

Socially Sensitive? Difficult to accept results, risky as if he hadn’t got these results then could have caused social hatred towards Germans. Prejudice against all authority figures, risks as could have caused distress in the participants. Causes a social stigma around drinking, shows prejudice from helpers, shows people abiding to sexist beliefs. Outlines problems with different cultures, says how some countries aren’t helpful, could cause a stigma. Showed videos of car crashes, causes stigma that car crashes are caused by driving too fast, consequences of eyewitness testimony. Could cause controversy that all aggression comes from witnessing it, could cause stigma of bad parenting. Could cause stigmas against different cultures, could risk causing hatred between nations. Could cause stigmas against different cultures, could risk causing hatred between nations. Could be risky and persuade people not to have the surgery because of the consequences so suffer from bad seizures. Could make people feel negative feelings against themselves, could cause interpretations of impatience. Controversial as private issues that caused the child stress were exposed and publicised. Targets race as a factor, led to changes in laws to allow discrimination, fuels racism and intolerance, segregation, promotes inequality. Outcome of research may have implications for government policy and change those in the research, could cause a stigma.

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Controversy Legal Risks Stigma Derogation Interpretation Prejudice Incriminating

4. Evaluation of conducting socially sensitive research Strengths:      

Usefulness Often socially sensitive research is used positively to challenge discrimination against groups of people and shape public policy Practical applications Socially sensitive research sometimes studies deviant behaviour which is beneficial in establishing abnormality from normality Can establish patterns of behaviour that could prevent future atrocities, immoral acts/other ways not possible Valuable insight into human behaviour

Weaknesses:    

Ethical issues may be raised (However useful it is) It may be difficult to replicate the research due to its sensitive nature Topics may be controversial or produce findings that could lead to discrimination against groups of people / individuals (mental health, crime, racial differences etc.) Media headlines – information used inappropriately/incorrectly – effect of this

5. Exam questions Outline how one area / perspective in psychology that can be seen to be socially sensitive research [4 marks] One area in psychology that can be seen as socially sensitive is the individual differences area. This area believes that everyone is different and unique and that these differences (including culture, biology and cognitions) are what make us different. One study in this is Gould. Gould looked at the research of Yerkes and bias in IQ testing. This research is socially sensitive because it targets race as a factor which therefore allowed discrimination and even changed legislations to make discrimination legal. It also promotes inequality as outlines how some cultures are much smarter than others. This is socially sensitive because it questions things that are sacred such as culture and race which allows controversy and puts negative stigma against some cultures. It also allows discrimination and prejudice.

Outline one core study that can be considered socially sensitive. Justify your response [8 marks] One core study that can be considered socially sensitive is Loftus and Palmer. Loftus and Palmer looked at eyewitness testimony by showing 45 participants a series of (fake) car crashes then asking them a question about the speed they thought the car was going but used one of five verbs in the question (smashed, collided, bumped, hit, contacted). They then asked new participants if they thought they saw glass (contacted, hit, control). They found that the more severe the work used, the faster they predicted the car was travelling which shows how eyewitness testimony can be massive influenced by the wording of the questions they are asked. This was socially sensitive because it could cause stigma that all crashed are caused by speeding therefore unsafe driving. It also focuses on more sensitive issues as they have to watch car crashed which can be found as disturbing, especially by those who may have witnessed a car crash or even been in a car crash themselves. This can also cause negative consequences about eyewitness testimony which can affect trials in court as it may prove that all questions are influenced by how they are asked. It could also lead to people being wrongly imprisoned....