Ethical implications of research studies and theory, including reference to social sensitivity.

Qualification: A-Level Psychology
Paper: Issues and options in psychology
Unit: Issues and debates in psychology
Assessment criteria: Ethical implications of research studies and theory, including reference to social sensitivity.

• Psychologists must follow BPS guidelines which contain a set of rules psychologists must follow in order to ensure their participants are protected and no harm comes to them.
• Social sensitivity = A term coined by Sieber and Stanley in 1988 that describes studies where there might be social consequences as a result of the study.
• When research is socially sensitive, psychologists must ensure the privacy and confidentiality of participants, participants must not be decieved from the true aim of the study, participants must have given their informed consent, participants must be debriefed after the study and all participants must be treated equally and with respect.