The following essay sample is a response to the

question: Discuss ethical considerations in the

study of the role of genetics in human behaviour. 
The sample response is an example of an
exemplary response that should receive top marks.

Comments about the essay are included below.

What is the question asking for?

At least two ethical considerations should be discussed with regard to genetic research.  Notice that the
phrase "ethical considerations" (plural) has been used.
Each ethical consideration used should be clearly explained.
There should be at least two studies used to illustrate the ethical considerations.
The focus of the essay should be on ethical considerations of research on genetics in general, and not
simply ethical concerns of specific studies.

Sample response
Within the biological approach it is assumed that research into genetic influence on behaviour can eventually
reveal the causes of psychological disorders such as depression or negative behaviours such as criminal activity.
The diathesis-stress theory suggests that genes may lead to a predisposition to a behaviour or disorder, but there
must be an environmental or physiological trigger for the genes to be expressed. Today our knowledge about the
exact role of specific genes is still incomplete. As with all research, genetic research must meet ethical standards.
There are several ethical considerations such as informed consent and the risk of undue stress or harm.

One consideration is informed consent. To obtain informed consent, the aim and the procedure of the research –
as well as any possible negative outcomes – must be explained to the participant in language that the participant
can understand. It could be argued that many people do not understand genetic research and its implications, and
therefore informed consent cannot be easily obtained.  A participant could find out that they have an unexpected
genetic disposition for a particular mental illness. Although this could be considered a good thing because it could
lead to changes in behavoiur that would prevent the onset of the disorder, it could also cause undue stress.

Another ethical consideration in genetic research is undue stress or harm. Undue stress is when a participant
experiences more stress than should be expected through the normal day to day activities.  In research on the
role of genetics on depression, Caspi found that having two short alleles for the 5-HTT gene made one more
vulnerable to depression than someone with the longer alleles. The question is whether testing someone for the
genetic mutation and informing them that this may make them more vulnerable for depression is undue stress.
  One could argue that it is not, but instead is a way to help people cope with the potential onset of depression. 
Knowing that you may develop it may help people to take more precautions like watching their diet or exercising
on a regular basis.  Wilhelm et al (2009) found that in a study of the 5-HTT gene, participants felt more positive
than negative about getting the information.  They felt that it was important to know.  

However, this was self-reported and may be the result of social desirability effect.  Wilhelm et al also found that
the participants with two short alleles showed much higher levels of stress after the learning the results than the
participants with two long alleles.  There is a danger that having this knowledge could lead to a self-fulfilling
prophecy, where individuals start to show signs of the disorder simply because they expect to get it.  Finally, if the
participants were to share this information with a doctor, it may lead to confirmation bias and a false diagnosis of
depression, leading to drug treatments that could be bad for the individual.  It is important that psychologists
consider the potential harm that could come to their participants from such research. By explaining clearly the
meaning of the results in the debriefing, the negative outcomes may be avoided.

One of the ethical concerns in the study of genetics is how important pre-symptom screening could be in the
prevention of mental illness or in negative behaviours. For example, in a large twin study carried out by
Christiansen, he found a higher concordance rate for criminal activity in MZ twins than in DZ twins.  Although no
specific genes were isolated, what if there is a genetic predisposition to criminal behaviour?  Could we potentially
prevent crime by helping people with this genetic predisposition?

The argument is problematic and ethically unsound. Genetic research is generally correlational, which means that
it is not possible to state a clear cause-effect relationship between genes and criminal behaviour. In the case of
Christiansen’s study, we also have to be careful of how we define “criminal activity” and the question of what
environmental factors may have played a role in the development of the behaviour.  We have to be careful not to
believe in genetic determinism. The interaction between genes and the environment is very complex and
oversimplifying the origins of complex behaviours like criminal activity can lead to labeling, prejudice and the
denial of an individual to choose his or her own path in life.   

Although genetic research is helping us to better understanding the origins of behaviour, researchers must always
address ethical considerations.  Failure to do so will make people less likely to participate in research.  In addition,
the failure to meet standards may lead to behaviours which look like they support the findings, but may be due to
confounding variables, like self-fulfilling prophecies, misdiagnosis due to confirmation bias or anxiety and
depression due to stress about the findings.

790 words

Marking the response

Focus on the question

The response is focused on the question and the command term is met. The focus is on ethical considerations
and not only on research.  Several relevant issues are raised with regard to genetic research. The ethical
considerations to be discussed are clearly identified in the introduction.

Knowledge and understanding

The response demonstrates clear understanding of the two ethical considerations.  It also demonstrates
understanding of gene-environment interaction and genetic determinism.  Psychological terminology is accurately
applied.

Use of research

There are three studies used -  Caspi, Wilhelm et al and Christiansen.  They are used appropriately to discuss
ethical considerations.  There is no need for an in-depth description of the studies as this is not the focus of the
essay.

Critical thinking

There is a good discussion of ethical considerations.  There importance is discussed as well as the difficulties in
applying the to genetic research. There is some evaluation of research with a link to ethics - for example, the
concern about correlational data.

Clarity and organization

The language of the response is clear and the essay is well structured.

What are common problems with this question?

The focus of the response should be on ethical considerations. Many essays instead only focus on
describing the studies.
Ethical considerations are not explained but simply stated.
Studies of genetics are evaluated, rather than discussing ethical considerations in the study of genetics
and behaviour.