Question

3.46 Informed consent A researcher suspects that traditional religious beliefs

tend to be associated with an authoritarian personality. She prepares a question-
naire that measures authoritarian tendencies and also asks many religious ques-
tions. Write a description of the purpose of this research to be read by subjects in
order to obtain their informed consent. You must balance the conflicting goals of
not deceiving the subjects as to what the questionnaire will tell about them and
of not biasing the sample by scaring off religious people.

Answer 1

Answer: The purpose of this research is to explore the potential relationship between traditional religious beliefs and authoritarian tendencies. We are administering a questionnaire that will measure your views on various topics and ask about your religious beliefs. It is important to note that this research is not intended to judge or stereotype individuals based on their religious beliefs, but rather to gain a better understanding of how these beliefs may be related to certain personality traits. Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and your responses will be kept confidential. We understand that some of the questions may be sensitive in nature, and we want to assure you that your personal beliefs will not be used in any negative way. Your participation in this research will help us to better understand the relationship between religious beliefs and personality traits, and will contribute to the field of psychology.