marketability and political correctness in research and publishing

[gaki]

I just have to know..

do psychologists (and i guess any other research) often feel stifled or pressured by producing research and writing that serves commercial purposes? maybe not directly, but maybe indirectly? or that supports current trends in what is 'right' or 'pc'?

does it affect your subject matter, the way you set up your research, the way you might put a 'spin' on it?
i don't think this kind of thing applies to just psychologists, (maybe it affects like pharmaceuticals or something too, or any kind of high-stakes research) but I just wondered if you felt especially pressured?

Do you know, as an insider, if its common for psychology researchers to be approached with someone saying "i want research that shows that x is true, because i will profit from it if i have data for it."

what happens to research that is very significant for learning about people, but is not directly related to something that is marketable, or something that shows something that supports a very unpopular view?

or maybe all of this is something that psychologists dont normally face so they dont worry about it?

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[Sanman]

Well.
Let's preface this by saying politics is pervasive in every aspect of life. As far as producnig research that can be applied directly to populations, I have heard the general trend being that it is looked down upon. don't ask me why. I can also tell you that I have heard of people, at least one professor I know, who have had a hard time getting publisheddue to unpopular and some could say unwanted research results. Also, there are "popular" research trends that occur simply because that is where the funding is and people follow the money. I'm sure that results fixing, etc. does happen, one would assume more so in industrial research than university-based research. The real life issues associated with research are probably why I'll shy away from it in favor of a more clinical career. In some instances research and academia can get really cutthroat.

 

[PsychMode]

This is very interesting, because it sounds like you guys are saying that psychology, being PC, is rather liberal. I can see where that thinking comes from with official APA stances. Listening to professors and just getting a feel for what is going on, at least where I am, it would not suprise me to see psychology take a more conservative turn. Whether it is "liberal," conservative, moderate, radical, reactionary, etc., I suspect that it may head toward the right as what people "really think" comes to the surface. For me it is the direct opposite from the concerns posted in this thread. One reason I am avoiding psych research is because I feel that it may become more conservative (supposedly less PC, though PC has been replaced by being someone else's version of patrotic by agreeing unwaveringly with certain political/international policies & approaches, and apparently nobody seems to see a connection). If it is not officially conservative then in some instances is definitely conservative or unconfortable for some who are not firmly right of center.

Whether the research is purported to be liberal, conservative, PC, or the way things ought to be, there WILL be a sociopolitical context to it.

 

[lazure]

One reason I am avoiding psych research is because I feel that it may become more conservative

How can you have an opinion on an area that you're purposely avoiding? !

 

[PsychMode]

One reason I am avoiding psych research is because I feel that it may become more conservative

How can you have an opinion on an area that you're purposely avoiding? !

???

Avoiding it as a career after education and training. You tend to get a feel for a system while studying within it, but perhaps I can only speak for myself. I don't know about you, but most people get their graduate degrees from academia. And while earning that degree, you are presumably somewhat involved in the research process.

 

[lazure]

???

Avoiding it as a career after education and training.

My apologies Your comments now make sense. There's a lot of people on this forum and I don't remember who has psych background and who doesn't.

In terms of the political leanings of psychological research I can't see the Liberal vs PC difference in what I do i.e. the study of children's aggression. I guess I just don't think in those terms....

But I can tell you that gender is big politics in child development research... It's no longer popular to find gender differences in fields such as moral or social reasoning....hence studies don't report gender interactions. Although girls' aggression is quite hot these days ....

 

[gaki]

???

Avoiding it as a career after education and training.

My apologies Your comments now make sense. There's a lot of people on this forum and I don't remember who has psych background and who doesn't.

In terms of the political leanings of psychological research I can't see the Liberal vs PC difference in what I do i.e. the study of children's aggression. I guess I just don't think in those terms....

But I can tell you that gender is big politics in child development research... It's no longer popular to find gender differences in fields such as moral or social reasoning....hence studies don't report gender interactions. Although girls' aggression is quite hot these days ....

why is it not popular to find gender differences? i mean the reasons for the differences might not be biological, but socilogical, so wouldnt that be worth looking into? like if its biological maybe nothing can be done about it, but otherwise, something can be? or is it because there are some biological studies hidden somewhere that says "males are definately biologically made to be smarter than females. we better stop research in this area before all hell breaks loose!" or is it more like "moral and social reasoning research in general doesnt really look like its been paying for itself, so we should just look for other things to research (not saying the 'other things' are unimportant)"
has there been a jump in signs of aggression in girls recently? or has just one or a few researchers found interest in it and is it their high-quality of work or groundbreaking findings that has made it into a "respectable" issue to explore?

i just wonder so much about how these things are steered around.

 

[Sanman]

I can't be positive, but I'm guessing it has to do with the interim in finding that either gender has an advantage. For example, A finding that males have 15% more brain matter gets translated into males being smarter and all hell breaks loose. In my original example many prison inmates who were convicted were found to have extremely low education levels/IQs and therefore probably shouldn't have been competent to stand trial, but nobody wants to hear that. Research as a career has to do with reputation within that community that also plays a role.

 

[gaki]

ooh...
well who does the "translating" in cases like you described? is it just how the general public will interpret it? how its presented in media? or do researchers themselves make such suggestions? do psychologist writers interpret it to fit their topics? like where does "15% brain more brain matter" turn into "males are smarter?" And where does "lower iq/education" turn into "not competant to stand trial (not able to tell right from wrong/consequences of actions?)?"

Sorry if i am asking inane things or kicking someone elses dead horse, I am just trying to understand. also sorry if i seem very ignorant, i am an outsider.

 

[Sanman]

Well, many studies have been mangled by the media in different ways, such as the brain issue. As far as the prison issue, its not very popular in the judicial arena because many they don't want to be accused of convicting unfit individuals. It comes from many arenas because research affects many different areas. Many people are up in arms over a new field called neuromarketing because they feel it is too close to brainwashing. Look up neuromarketing on google and you'll get an idea of what is going on. It simply comes down to the fact that research that deals in unpopular ideas will lead to consequences. Perhaps the researcher feels he is in the right, but what if his university doesn't agree? He'll probably either be forced to discontinue the research or be fired. That's life. Not to say this happens everywhere in research, but it can happen much like anywhere else in life.