Sieber and Stanley (1988) used the term socially sensitive to describe studies where there are potential social consequences for the participants or the group of people represented by the research.
Sieber & Stanley’s 3 considerations for Socially Sensitive Research:
- Social implications: Could the research create bias, racism, discrimination or reinforce harmful stereotypes?
- Uses and Political change: What is the research going to be used for? Weigh up the possible costs and benefits before conducting any research. Could the findings be adapted in order to support certain pollical directions or public policies?
- Validity and Interpretation of research: Are the findings accurate or driven by bias? Is the data correlational and presented as cause and effect evidence? Will the interpretation of the findings have harmful consequences?
Lets go through an example of a piece of research and explain how it could be socially sensitive, and the ethical implications. This will hopefully allow you to understand the difference between the two of them.
Zimbardo’s prison study:
Socially Sensitive: It could be argued that Zimbardo’s research is socially sensitive as the results could be used to reinforce harmful stereotypes of prison guards, suggesting that they are sadistic and lack empathy. It may also be used to create political changes such as enforcing uniforms in certain situations in order to control behaviour.
Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment – Monotropy:
Socially Sensitive: Likewise, it could be argued that Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment is socially sensitive as it could be used to coerce mothers to stay at home and look after their children. Reinforce gender stereotypes. It could be used to enforce political change i.e. changes in child care provision.
See below an interesting piece of research which could be great example of socially sensitive research:
Yerkes (1917) used 1.75 million army recruits in the USA during WW1. The recruits included White Americans, Black Americans and European immigrants. Procedure: From May to July 1917, Yerkes, together with a number of colleagues wrote the army mental tests. Together they developed three types of Intelligence tests. Examples of questions include:
- Washington is to Adams as first is to …….
- Crisco is a: patient medicine, disinfectant, toothpaste, food product?
- The number of kaffir’s legs is 2, 4, 6, 8?
- Christy Matthewson is famous as a: writer, artist, baseball player, comedian
Notice how biased these questions are to American culture.
Findings from Yerkes study:
- White Americans had a mental age of a 13 year old. This indicated that the country was ‘a nation of morons’ and due to this, Yerkes quoted that ‘the poor, Negroes and feeble-minded had been interbreeding and lowering the overall intelligence of the population’
- The black man had an average mental age of 10.41. However the lighter the skin colour. The higher the scores.
Consequences of the research:
- THE IMMIGRATION RESTRICTION ACT was passed in 1924 by the US Congress and was shaped by Yerkes’ findings. People from southern and eastern Europe and from the Alpine and Mediterranean nations who had scored very poorly on the army tests were no longer welcome in the USA. These immigration restrictions were to have horrendous consequences. The persecution of the Jewish community which started well before the actual beginning of the Second World War, meant that many Jews tried to escape from their homeland, but there was ‘no admittance’ to America!
Strengths of Socially Sensitive Research
- Psychologists have devised methods to resolve the issues raised.
- SSR is the most scrutinised research in psychology. Ethical committees reject more SSR than any other form of research.
- By gaining a better understanding of issues such as gender, race and sexuality we are able to gain a greater acceptance and reduce prejudice.
- SSR has been of benefit to society, for example EWT. This has made us aware that EWT can be flawed and should not be used without corroboration. It has also made us aware that the EWT of children is every bit as reliable as that of adults.
- Most research is still carried out on white middle class Americans (about 90% of research quoted in texts!). SSR is helping to redress the balance and make us more aware of other cultures and outlooks.
Weaknesses of Socially Sensitive Research
- Flawed research has been used to dictate social policy and put certain groups at a disadvantage.
- Research has been used to discriminate against groups in society such as sterilization of people in the USA between 1910 and 1920 because they were of low intelligence, criminal or suffered from psychological illness.
- The guidelines used by psychologists to control SSR lack power and as a result are unable to prevent indefensible research being carried out.
Exam Questions:
Explain what is meant by socially sensitive research. [3 marks]
The term socially sensitive research is used to describe studies where there are potential social consequences for the participants or the group of people represented by the research.
For example, Milgram’s study could be considered as socially sensitive because the results could be used to ensure that people obey orders, including those they don’t wish to follow.
In a study of antisocial activity and social background, researchers interviewed 100 children aged 14 years. They then classified each child according to their level of antisocial activity. They concluded that 26 were ‘very antisocial’, 40 were ‘mildly antisocial’ and 34 were ‘not antisocial’. The researchers found that the majority of the ‘very antisocial’ children attended Crayford secondary school, whereas most of the other two groups of children attended another local school.
Briefly explain how the researchers could have dealt with the issue of social sensitivity in this study. [4 marks]
The researchers need to be aware of the methodology they use including the treatment of the participants and their right to confidentiality and anonymity. Furthermore, the researchers need to consider the application of the findings which could have negative implications for the students, the school and the wider community. For example, the findings could lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where the student think that their school is ‘anti-social’ and as result become more antisocial. Both of these socially sensitive issues could be dealt with by ensuring that the researchers do not publish the names of any students or the school, which they have not done in this extract as they have named ‘Crayford Secondary School’’.
Discuss social sensitivity in psychological research. Refer to one or more topics in your answer [16 marks]
Socially sensitive research refers to studies in which there is potential for the findings to have negative social consequences for the participants involved or the group they represent. Sieber and Stanley identified four ethical implications that are particularly relevant in such research. Firstly, the research question itself should avoid reinforcing stereotypes or discrimination, such as assumptions that intelligence is biologically determined across racial groups. Secondly, the treatment of data must ensure strict confidentiality to prevent misuse or identification of participants. Thirdly, the institutional context, including funding bodies such as governments, raises concerns about how findings may be applied. Finally, the interpretation and presentation of findings is crucial, as misleading conclusions may harm social groups. These considerations highlight the potential impact of psychological research beyond the individual level.
One key issue with socially sensitive research is its potential to contribute to discrimination and social policy that harms groups. For example, Yerkes’ research into racial differences in IQ was used to support the Immigration Restriction Act (1924) in the United States. This policy significantly reduced immigration from certain regions and had serious consequences for individuals seeking refuge, including Jewish populations prior to World War II. Furthermore, Yerkes’ claims about racial inferiority reinforced racist ideologies. This demonstrates how psychological research can be misused to justify prejudice, suggesting that socially sensitive research carries significant ethical risks. However, it could be argued that the problem lies not in conducting such research, but in how findings are interpreted and applied, indicating that stricter ethical guidelines may be preferable to banning research altogether.
On the other hand, socially sensitive research can produce valuable benefits for society by challenging harmful assumptions. For instance, Milgram’s research into obedience directly opposed the idea that certain nationalities, such as Germans, were inherently more obedient. By demonstrating that 65% of American participants were willing to administer potentially lethal shocks under authority, Milgram showed that obedience is largely situational rather than dispositional. Although the findings are unsettling, they reduce the risk of stereotyping entire groups and therefore have positive social sensitivity implications. This illustrates that such research can actually reduce prejudice, suggesting that avoiding sensitive topics altogether may prevent important societal insights.
Furthermore, some psychologists argue that socially sensitive research should be avoided due to the potential harm to participants or groups, including stigma and discrimination. However, completely avoiding such research would limit psychology to trivial topics and prevent progress in understanding important social issues such as race, gender, and obedience. A more balanced approach is to ensure that researchers act responsibly by anticipating the social consequences of their work and engaging with policymakers to minimise misuse. This reflects a cost-benefit analysis, where the potential societal benefits of research must outweigh the risks.
In conclusion, while socially sensitive research poses significant ethical challenges, including the risk of misuse and discrimination, it also has the potential to provide valuable insights and challenge harmful stereotypes. Therefore, rather than avoiding such research, psychologists should carefully manage its conduct and application to maximise benefits and minimise harm.
Examiner 16/16
CGS Psychology Blog: Mrs Harris 