Module 5 Assignment 1

Use of Deception in Research

Some might think that because of the IRB deception cannot be used in research. However, this is not the case. In fact, most studies use some element of deception in that they do not inform the participants of the specific hypotheses or all aspects of the topic. Mild deception is particularly useful in cases where information about the true nature of the study might alter the participants' behavior. For example, if a researcher wanted to conduct a study on racial bias, mentioning that topic to participants might influence how they decide to behave during the study or what they would report about themselves. Instead, the experimenter would need to describe the study vaguely, such as saying that the study is about exploring interpersonal relationships, so that the experimenter can obtain the most accurate information about participants' thoughts and behavior.

Although deception is permitted within research, the benefit of the desired information must outweigh the potential risks that can occur from the deception. For example, you would not be permissible to deceive participants by falsely telling them that a loved one is deceased in order to study grief reactions. Any information gleaned on grief reactions would not be worth the emotionally difficult experience for participants of thinking that they have lost someone close to them. Further, deception is only permitted in cases where other ways of obtaining that information are not possible. In the case of studying grief reactions, it is certainly quite possible to study naturally occurring grief reactions without having to artificially create the circumstances.

When deception is used, participants must be debriefed upon the conclusion of their participation in the study. In the debriefing process, participants should be told about the nature of the deception and the reason for it. In the unlikely case where they experience adverse reactions as a result of having been deceived, it is recommended for a researcher to be prepared with names of local therapists who have agreed to provide an hour of free counseling for such participants. However, such adverse reactions are unlikely because severe deception that is likely to cause participants to become emotionally distraught would not be permitted by the IRB.

Read the following article from the online library resources

When Is Deception in Research Ethical?