Samantha Cruz
Evaluate ethical considerations in the study of the role of genetics in human behaviour. COMPLETE
Ethical guidelines allow for psychological research to maintain scientific integrity while staying within the
parameters of research. However, dealing with ethical considerations when studying the role of genetics in
human behaviour has its strengths and limitations due to the complexities faced, especially when it comes to
no undue stress of harm or informed consent. This especially applies to studying the heritability of depression.
One ethical consideration is no undue stress or harm. This means participants should not face any form of
anxiety, stress, distress, or pain throughout psychological research. This ensures that participants have long-
term protection. If any undue stress or harm were to be an outcome of the research conducted, it is important
for the researcher to provide the participant with the needed physiological or psychological care. It is also
important that participants know they have the right to withdraw from the research at anytime they please with
no influence from the researcher.
When studying genetics, no undue stress or harm is particularly needed when testing twins for depression due
to their genes. Kendler conducted a correlational study with the aim of investigating the rate at which
monozygotic (MZ) twins and dizygotic (DZ) twins inherit depression. The Swedish Twin Registry was used to
look at 40,000 twins. The heritability rates between female MZ twins was 44% while DZ twins was 16%. In
males the heritability rate was 30% in MZ twins and 10% in DZ twins. With the percentage being less than
100%, it is evident that genes are merely not enough for one to be depressed, the environment plays a key
role to depression. This was also highlighted as sometimes not both of the MZ would have depression. This
was because they both individually have their own environmental stressors. This study supports the idea that
inheritance of depression is greater in MZ twins than DZ twins as MZ twins have more similar genes.
The main limitation here is that participants may encounter the self-fulfilling prophecy and start to show more
symptoms of depression, especially in MZ twins. Participants may believe that since they are MZ twins they
are more likely to get depression, thus facing some undue stress. This is present as a constant fear that they
will get depression due to the genetic research provided. This could then lead to participant bias and affecting
the validity of results. However, this study was approved by psychological boards as participants should be
debriefed. This means after the study the results and the overall study is explained to ensure that participants
return back to their original state. If participants are severely psychological harmed, counselling can be
provided by the researcher. Overall, although the knowledge gained is valuable for understanding the role
genes play in our behaviour, it does have some costs in relation to undue stress or harm.
Another ethical consideration is informed consent. This is when participants are told about the aims and
objectives of the study and what it involves to either agree or disagree on participating in the study. This
usually includes information about the study itself, researchers, accessing results, anonymity, and more.
When it comes to researching genes, this consideration is also important as sometimes results of a study can
allow participants to realize they have a certain genetic disorder. Although this is beneficial as it leads to early
treatment, this now known information can lead to undue stress towards the participant.
A study which highlights the complexity of ethical considerations when researching the role of genetics in
human behaviour was conducted by Caspi et al. The aim of this longitudinal correlational study was to
investigate if variations in the 5-HTT gene would lead to increased or decreased depression. Participants were
chosen from opportunity sampling and were caucasian New Zealanders. They were then split into groups
based on their 5-HTT transporter gene allele length: short/short, short/long, and long/long. They were then
surveyed about certain stressful life events that occured. The researchers found the depression after stress is
due to genotypes: short/short had the most depression, short/long had moderate depression, and long/long
acted as if a stressful event never occurred. This study suggests there is no direct relationship between having
Evaluate ethical considerations in the study of the role of genetics in human behaviour. COMPLETE
Ethical guidelines allow for psychological research to maintain scientific integrity while staying within the
parameters of research. However, dealing with ethical considerations when studying the role of genetics in
human behaviour has its strengths and limitations due to the complexities faced, especially when it comes to
no undue stress of harm or informed consent. This especially applies to studying the heritability of depression.
One ethical consideration is no undue stress or harm. This means participants should not face any form of
anxiety, stress, distress, or pain throughout psychological research. This ensures that participants have long-
term protection. If any undue stress or harm were to be an outcome of the research conducted, it is important
for the researcher to provide the participant with the needed physiological or psychological care. It is also
important that participants know they have the right to withdraw from the research at anytime they please with
no influence from the researcher.
When studying genetics, no undue stress or harm is particularly needed when testing twins for depression due
to their genes. Kendler conducted a correlational study with the aim of investigating the rate at which
monozygotic (MZ) twins and dizygotic (DZ) twins inherit depression. The Swedish Twin Registry was used to
look at 40,000 twins. The heritability rates between female MZ twins was 44% while DZ twins was 16%. In
males the heritability rate was 30% in MZ twins and 10% in DZ twins. With the percentage being less than
100%, it is evident that genes are merely not enough for one to be depressed, the environment plays a key
role to depression. This was also highlighted as sometimes not both of the MZ would have depression. This
was because they both individually have their own environmental stressors. This study supports the idea that
inheritance of depression is greater in MZ twins than DZ twins as MZ twins have more similar genes.
The main limitation here is that participants may encounter the self-fulfilling prophecy and start to show more
symptoms of depression, especially in MZ twins. Participants may believe that since they are MZ twins they
are more likely to get depression, thus facing some undue stress. This is present as a constant fear that they
will get depression due to the genetic research provided. This could then lead to participant bias and affecting
the validity of results. However, this study was approved by psychological boards as participants should be
debriefed. This means after the study the results and the overall study is explained to ensure that participants
return back to their original state. If participants are severely psychological harmed, counselling can be
provided by the researcher. Overall, although the knowledge gained is valuable for understanding the role
genes play in our behaviour, it does have some costs in relation to undue stress or harm.
Another ethical consideration is informed consent. This is when participants are told about the aims and
objectives of the study and what it involves to either agree or disagree on participating in the study. This
usually includes information about the study itself, researchers, accessing results, anonymity, and more.
When it comes to researching genes, this consideration is also important as sometimes results of a study can
allow participants to realize they have a certain genetic disorder. Although this is beneficial as it leads to early
treatment, this now known information can lead to undue stress towards the participant.
A study which highlights the complexity of ethical considerations when researching the role of genetics in
human behaviour was conducted by Caspi et al. The aim of this longitudinal correlational study was to
investigate if variations in the 5-HTT gene would lead to increased or decreased depression. Participants were
chosen from opportunity sampling and were caucasian New Zealanders. They were then split into groups
based on their 5-HTT transporter gene allele length: short/short, short/long, and long/long. They were then
surveyed about certain stressful life events that occured. The researchers found the depression after stress is
due to genotypes: short/short had the most depression, short/long had moderate depression, and long/long
acted as if a stressful event never occurred. This study suggests there is no direct relationship between having
