When participants are purposely misled about procedures to obtain natural reactions?

When participants are purposely misled about procedures to obtain natural reactions?

• A. Deception
• B. Debriefing
• C. Informed consent
• D. Milgram Obedience Experiment (1961)

Answer: (A)

Deception in research means intentionally misinforming or withholding information about procedures, aims, or what will happen to participants so their behavior reflects genuine reactions rather than guessing the study’s purpose. This approach helps avoid demand characteristics, where people change how they act because they think they know what the study is about. A classic example is obedience research where participants were led to believe they were administering real shocks to someone else; the deception was essential to see true obedience reactions. Afterward, a thorough debriefing explains the true purpose, reveals what was misleading, and helps address any distress. Informed consent is about agreeing to participate with knowledge of general aspects and risks, while debriefing comes after the study to reveal the deception and the full purpose. The Milgram experiment is a well-known instance that used deception to study obedience.

Deception in research means intentionally misinforming or withholding information about procedures, aims, or what will happen to participants so their behavior reflects genuine reactions rather than guessing the study’s purpose. This approach helps avoid demand characteristics, where people change how they act because they think they know what the study is about. A classic example is obedience research where participants were led to believe they were administering real shocks to someone else; the deception was essential to see true obedience reactions. Afterward, a thorough debriefing explains the true purpose, reveals what was misleading, and helps address any distress. Informed consent is about agreeing to participate with knowledge of general aspects and risks, while debriefing comes after the study to reveal the deception and the full purpose. The Milgram experiment is a well-known instance that used deception to study obedience.