Process of Deception

Examples of Deception

Debriefing

Example of Deception: Studying Opinions on Attire

A research team wants to study how the perceived authority of a person giving instructions affects compliance. They recruit participants for what is described as a 'market research survey on new products.' During the study, an actor, posing as either a senior lab director in a formal coat or a fellow participant in casual clothes, instructs the participant to shred a stack of papers containing what they are told is 'another group's completed survey data.' In reality, the papers are blank. After the interaction, the researchers fully explain the true purpose of the study, why the misdirection was used, and confirm that no real data was destroyed. Which of the following statements best evaluates the use of deception in this experiment according to ethical guidelines?

Incidental Learning

Minimizing Deception

Forms of Deception in Research

Fill-in-the-Blank: Justification for Deception

Arguments Against Deception in Research

Justifying Deception in Research

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Why do researchers sometimes intentionally mislead participants about the nature or purpose of a psychological study?