| Summary: | There is a pressing need for science to be at the center of policy debates. However, science can be used to fuel regressive movements as easily as it can be used to inform positive policy changes. The psychology of individual differences provides a case study. In the first section, a brief history of racist ideas in psychology is presented. Next, it is argued that these ideas are being used to fuel modern racist movements such as the alt-right and policies which disproportionately affect people of color. In the second section, the author proposes an ethical framework for challenging racist applications of psychological research. It is argued that psychologists should apply a framework that asks about the effects of their actions on individuals and communities who are impacted by social science-driven research. The author concludes with a call to incorporate ethical frameworks in the education and research of psychologists and to pressure professional organizations like the American Psychological Association to adopt stronger stances against racist psychological research.
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