Final answer:
Obtaining prior consent to being deceived in research involves an IRB-sanctioned informed consent process that explains the study without revealing aspects that could bias the results, ensures participant confidentiality, and provides a comprehensive debriefing post-study. For studies involving minors, parental consent is necessary. Ethical research practices dictate a careful balance between truthfulness and non-harm.
Step-by-step explanation:
To obtain prior consent to being deceived in a research study, an Institutional Review Board (IRB) requires a thorough informed consent process that details the nature of the study and any potential risks, while preserving the participant's confidentiality. Although the informed consent form should generally be very transparent, some level of deception might be permissible if it is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the research and if it is not harmful. When deception is used, participants should be offered a full debriefing afterward, explaining the genuine purpose of the study, how the collected data will be utilized, why the deception was necessary, and where to find more information about the research.
In cases involving minors, informed consent must be obtained from parents or legal guardians, and the IRB ensures that all rights to privacy and dignity are upheld. This process protects participants from personal harm and upholds their right to withdraw from the study at any point without penalty.
Researchers face ethical dilemmas when their duties conflict, such as the duty to always tell the truth versus the duty to avoid causing harm. In such cases, researchers must carefully weigh the consequences of each action and choose the course that aligns with the ethical guidelines established for their research.