Use Of Deception In Research In Oakland
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FAQ
In general, deception is not acceptable if, in the judgment of the IRB, the participant may have declined to participate had they been informed of the true purpose of the research.
Examples of Active Deceptive Research Participants complete a quiz and are falsely told that they did poorly, regardless of their performance. Participants who do not know they are in a research study are observed to see how they behave when they find valuables (e.g., wallet, laptop) unattended in a public location.
Psychologists do not conduct a study involving deception unless they have determined that the use of deceptive techniques is justified by the study's significant prospective scientific, educational or applied value and that effective nondeceptive alternative procedures are not feasible.
Deception should only be used when its use is the only way to answer the research question. Research plans that involve the use of deception must be adequately justified and, in most cases, will require that research participants be informed about the deception at the conclusion of their participation.
In addition, guidelines and regulations permit research without valid consent only when it poses no greater than minimal risk. Current practice thus prohibits studies that use deception and pose greater than minimal risk, including studies that rely on deceptive methods to evaluate experimental treatments.
(a) Psychologists do not conduct a study involving deception unless they have determined that the use of deceptive techniques is justified by the study's significant prospective scientific, educational, or applied value and that effective nondeceptive alternative procedures are not feasible.
The no-deception policy is based on ethical standards governing the safe participation of human subjects in research. Deceptive methodologies compromise participants' ability to give fully informed consent and have possible negative impacts on participants and research.
The IRB discourages the use of deception when: Alternative methods can be used that will yield valid study results. The deception deprives participants of the opportunity to protect their own interests. The missing information affects the participants' ability to assess the risks of participation.
