Social media for psychological research in ethical, productive, and prosocial ways

Social media can be an incredibly useful tool for recruiting test participants, disseminating results, and stimulating public discussion about the practical implications of psychological research. It can be used to reach groups that are active online, including groups that may be difficult to connect with through traditional academic or professional communication networks.

Furthermore, psychologists have used insight gained from their own experience, their research, and the behavior of others to continually re-examine and improve on our ethical standards in research and practice.

This session discusses best practices for psychologists using digital communication tools in their work and examines some of the well-known unethical influence campaigns that have taken place on social media.

Ian MacRae, MBPsS, is a workplace psychology expert, psychometrician, research consultant and speaker across Europe and North America. He has written six books about workplace psychology including High Potential: How to Spot, Manage and Develop Talented People at Work, and his latest book is Dark Social: Understanding the Darker Side of Work, Personality and Social Media. His books have been translated into 10 different languages. Ian has a BA (Hons.) in psychology from the University of British Columbia and an MSc in research methods in psychology from University College London.