Deception in Research

Deception in research can be defined as any intentional choice by the researcher to create in participants a deliberate misperception pertaining to an essential element of the experiment. The demands of research with human subjects will, at times, require the researcher to deceive participants in order to obtain valid responses. This entry examines why a researcher may opt to employ deception as part of the research design, how researchers may engage in deception, and the ethical considerations for employing deception in research with human subjects.

Why to Employ Deception

The choice to use deception as part of a research design is based, at times, on the need to avoid biased responses by participants. Demand characteristics in an experimental design are features of the experimental setting that ...

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