18. peer review and the economy

what is peer review

the assessment of scientific work by others who are specialists in the same field, to ensure that any research intended for publication is of high quality

main aims of peer review

1. allocate research funding

2. validate the quality and relevance of research

3. suggest amendments or improvements

allocate research funding

• independent peer evaluation takes place to decide whether or not to award funding for a proposed research project

• may be coordinated by government-run funding organisations such as the Medical Research Council, who have a vested interest in establishing which research projects are most worthwhile

validate the quality and relevance of research

• all elements of research are assessed for quality and accuracy - the formulation of hypotheses, the methodology chosen, the statistical tests used and the conclusions drawn

suggest amendments or improvements

• reviewers may suggest minor revisions of the work and thereby improve the report

• in extreme circumstances, they may conclude that the work is inappropriate for publication and should be withdrawn

evaluation of peer review

1. anonymity

2. publication bias

3. burying groundbreaking research

anonymity

• usual practice that the ‘peer’ doing the reviewing remains anonymous to produce more honest appraisal

• however a minority may use this to criticise rival researchers - made more likely as many researchers are in direct competition for limited research findings

• for this reason, some journals favour a system of open reviewing whereby the names of the reviewer(s) are made public

publication bias

• natural tendency for editors of journals to want to publish significant ‘headline grabbing’ findings to increase the credibility and circulation of their publication - also prefer to publish positive results known as the file drawer problem

• could mean research that does not meet these criteria is ignored or disregarded - creates a false impression of the current state of psychology if journal editors are being selective in what they publish

burying groundbreaking research

• may suppress opposition to mainstream theories, wishing to maintain the status quo within particular scientific fields

• findings that chime with current opinion are more likely to be passed than new and innovative research that challenges the established order

• thus, peer review may have the effect of slowing down the rate of change within a particular scientific discipline

what does implications of psychology research on the economy mean

how does what we learn from the findings of psychological research influence, affect, benefit or devalue our financial prosperity

what is the economy

the state of a country/region in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services

SPEC

• no extra teaching is required

• students can use content from topics and must be able to explain the economic implications of psychological research

implications of attachment research

• role of the father research

• shows mothers and fathers are equally capable of childrearing to enable health developmental outcomes for the infants

• allows mothers to return to work, free of guilt, and contribute to the economy through the workforce

• maximises the annual household income

implications of research into mental health/psychopathology

biological approach to treating OCD

• review on effectiveness of SSRIs - 17 studies, reducing symptoms by 70%

• firstly restore QoL for the sufferer

• then impacts their ability to work meaning less time off work due to ill health, and less reliance on government funded incapacity benefit

• likewise, the NHS will save money if treatments are successful as there will be fewer incidents of relapse, requiring medical attention

implications of research into memory

EWT and cognitive interview

• fisher et al - CI elicits more than 40% more info than standard interview and where possible to confirm the information over 90% was accurate

• greater chance of correct prosecution

• less miscarriages of justice which are expensive for society involving many costs: initial trial, keeping someone in prison, appeals process, re-trial, financial compensation for the wrongly accused

implications of research into social influence

• schultz et al (2008) found NSI could be used to reduce energy usage

• better for the economy as less money is spent generating electricity, including the extraction of raw materials which is an expensive process