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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

A Strategy to Identify de Novo Mutations in Common Disorders such as Autism and Schizophrenia
Published on: June 15, 2011
Balancing risks and benefits of deception in assessing genetic screening utilization
D L Thombs1, C A Mahoney, R S Olds
1Department of Adult, Counseling, Health and Vocational Education, Kent State University, OH 44242-0001, USA. dthombs@educ.kent.edu
Objective:
To advocate that research using intentional deception is sometimes appropriate.
Methods:
A deception paradigm created to assess utilization of genetic screening for alcoholism susceptibility is reviewed in the context of competing ethical obligations and objections to the procedure.
Conclusions:
The paradigm is ethically defensible, it generates useful knowledge about future utilization of alcoholism screening by college students, and it exposes participants to no more than minimal risk. The use of deception to address questions related to predictive genetic screening will require investigators to balance protection of participants with the need to advance knowledge.
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