Presumptive Consent: Instead of asking the actual participants, a similar group of people is asked if they would find the study acceptable. If they agree, it is assumed the actual participants would also consent.
Prior General Consent: Participants give consent to take part in a series of studies, some of which may involve deception. By agreeing to the possibility of being misled, they are technically providing a form of consent.
Retrospective Consent: Participants are asked for their consent after the study has taken place, usually during the debriefing process once the true nature of the research is revealed.
Debriefing: A post-research interview where the true aims are revealed, any deception is explained, and the researcher ensures the participant is in the same psychological state as when they started.
Anonymity and Confidentiality: To protect privacy, researchers use numbers or pseudonyms instead of names. Data must be stored securely and should not be traceable back to the individual in any published report.
| Feature | Privacy | Confidentiality |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | The person's right to control their space and personal information. | The researcher's duty to protect the data collected. |
| Violation | Observing someone in a private setting (e.g., a bathroom) without consent. | Publishing a report that includes a participant's real name or address. |
| Solution | Conducting research in public spaces where behavior is expected to be seen. | Using pseudonyms and secure data encryption. |
Identify the Conflict: When analyzing a scenario, always identify the specific conflict between the research aim and the ethical guideline (e.g., 'To study natural behavior, the researcher must use deception, which violates informed consent').
Evaluate the Solution: Don't just state a solution; explain why it works. For example, 'Debriefing deals with deception by revealing the true aim, allowing the participant to withdraw their data if they are unhappy with the ruse.'
Cost-Benefit Limitations: Remember that cost-benefit analysis is subjective. What one ethics committee deems an 'acceptable cost,' another might find too high, making it a difficult standard to apply consistently.
Check the 'Right to Withdraw': In exam questions about ethics, always check if participants were explicitly told they could leave. If not, this is a primary ethical flaw to highlight.
The 'Debriefing Cure': A common mistake is assuming that debriefing automatically makes any level of harm or deception acceptable. If the harm is severe, debriefing cannot 'undo' the psychological damage.
Confusing Anonymity with Confidentiality: Anonymity means the researcher doesn't even know who the participant is (e.g., an anonymous survey). Confidentiality means the researcher knows, but keeps the identity secret.
Public vs. Private Space: Students often struggle with what constitutes a 'private' space. Generally, if a person would reasonably expect to be observed by others (like in a park), it is considered public, and observation is usually ethically permissible.
