Explain why researchers need to be mindful that they are not only responsible to their participants but also to society at large.

Researchers are responsible not only to their participants but also to society at large. In reporting results, researchers should be mindful of the social and political implications of their work. Researchers must consider how their findings will be portrayed in the media, attempt to foresee ways in which their results may be misinterpreted, and correct any misinterpretations that occur. For example, one highly publicized study compiled the existing research literature examining college students who had become sexually involved with an adult prior to reaching the legal age of consent. After compiling the results of many research studies, the scientists determined that young people's coping and development varied depending on a number of factors within the individual, situation, and broader context; not all the young people appeared to be harmed and those who were older when the relationship began often appeared well-adjusted. These findings were misinterpreted by some organizations, media outlets, and politicians as suggesting that sexual involvement with minors was acceptable or even beneficial-clearly not the researchers' conclusions.