How Is Deception Used In Psychological Research?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Deception in research provides

the opportunity for real reactions to be measured

. If people are unaware of the goals of a study you are more likely to get an authentic response from participants, rather than subjects reacting how they believe they are supposed to behave.

Why is deception used in research?

Subject deception is typically used

to promote scientific validity

, with subjects provided with false or incomplete information about the research in order to obtain unbiased data with respect to the subjects’ attitudes and behavior when complete or truthful disclosure is expected to produce biased results.

What is the purpose of deception in psychological experiments?

In psychology, deception is commonly used to

increase experimental control

. Yet, its use has provoked concerns that it raises participants’ suspicions, prompts sec- ond-guessing of experimenters’ true intentions, and ultimately distorts behavior and endangers the control it is meant to achieve.

When can deception be used in psychological research?

Deception can only be used

when there are no reasonably effective, alternative methods available

to achieve the goals of the research. Deception can only be used with study components that involve minimal risks (as determined by the IRB). Whenever possible, researchers must debrief subjects about the deception.

What is an example of deception in psychology?

For example, a researcher

wanting to study how people respond to negative health feedback may deceive participants by telling them a saliva test

they took indicates that they may have a disease, when in fact the test was only a manipulation used to create an emotional response.

Is deception necessary in psychological research?

The APA ethics code states that

a psychologist should not use deception unless the ends justify the means

. … No matter the outcome, deceptive research is no longer allowed when similar results can be found without deception or it “is reasonably expected to cause physical pain or severe emotional distress”.

What can deception lead to?

Deception is a major relational transgression that often leads to

feelings of betrayal and distrust between relational partners

. Deception violates relational rules and is considered to be a negative violation of expectations.

Is deception allowed in research?

Sometimes, deception is used in Social, Behavioral and Educational Research (SBER) in order to obtain accuracy information. … In general,

deception is not acceptable in human studies

. Occasionally, it is necessary to mislead the participants who are subjects of a study in order to obtain unbiased information.

What is an example of deception?

Deception is defined as an untrue falsehood, or is the act of lying to or tricking someone. An example of deception is

when you tell someone you are 30 when really you are 40.

What are the ethical issues in psychological research?

  • Informed Consent.
  • Debrief.
  • Protection of Participants.
  • Deception.
  • Confidentiality.
  • Withdrawal.

What are the different types of deception?

Six types of deception were examined, namely:

omission, distortion, half-truths, blatant lies, white lies, and failed lies

. Respondents rated their own and their partners’ use of each type of deception in terms of frequency, morality, and relationship effects.

What is deception method?

Deception is

a methodological technique whereby a participant is not made fully aware of the specific purposes of the study or is misinformed as part of the study

. Two main forms of deception may occur in research. The researcher intentionally misinforms the participant about some aspect of the study.

What means deception?

1a : the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what

is false

or invalid : the act of deceiving resorting to falsehood and deception used deception to leak the classified information. b : the fact or condition of being deceived the deception of his audience.

What makes a psychological study ethical?

For any research to be ethical,

the researcher must have gained informed consent from the participants

. The ‘informed’ part of this ethical principle is the most important part. It is no use to gain consent from participants when they are not informed about the true nature of the study.

Is deception in research ethical?

Deception research is

an ethical dilemma in itself

. Deception in research entails that participants are not fully informed of the purpose of the study. Valuable insight can also be obtained in this way into factors which would never be discovered if all factors and aspects were obvious to the study participants.

What are the four ethical principles that guide psychological research?

  • Beneficence and nonmaleficence.
  • Justice.
  • Respect for persons.
  • Fidelity and responsibility.
  • Integrity.
Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.