Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Ethics in Research01:56

Ethics in Research

23.2K
Today, scientists agree that good research is ethical in nature and is guided by a basic respect for human dignity and safety. However, this has not always been the case. Modern researchers must demonstrate that the research they perform is ethically sound.
23.2K
Blinding01:11

Blinding

2.5K
Blinding is a commonly used method of not telling participants which treatment a subject is receiving. Blinding is a critical part of a randomized control trial or RCT. It reduces the bias that affects the results. In an RCT, blinding is used in the form of a placebo. A placebo effect occurs when untreated subjects falsely believe they have received the treatment and report improved symptoms. A placebo or a dummy treatment is administered to subjects to negate the bias caused by such an effect.
2.5K
Blind Procedures02:07

Blind Procedures

10.8K
Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which...
10.8K
Milgram's Obedience to Authority02:20

Milgram's Obedience to Authority

6.5K
Obedience to authority is classically demonstrated in a more famous series of social psychology experiments performed by Stanley Milgram. He was a social psychology professor at Yale who was influenced by the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi war criminal. Eichmann’s defense for the atrocities he committed was that he was “just following orders.”
6.5K
Conformity01:20

Conformity

45.3K
Conformity is the change in a person’s behavior to go along with the group, even if that person does not agree with the group.
45.3K
Reliability and Validity01:29

Reliability and Validity

12.9K
Reliability and validity are two important considerations that must be made with any type of data collection. Reliability refers to the ability to consistently produce a given result. In the context of psychological research, this would mean that any instruments or tools used to collect data do so in consistent, reproducible ways.
12.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Replacing Surrogate Decision-Making with Supported Decision-Making for Minimal Risk Research.

The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics·2026
Same author

Intellectual Disability and Supported Decision-Making in Clinical Research: Anticipating Ethical Challenges.

The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics·2026
Same author

Using Supported Decision-Making to Promote Value-Aligned Research Participation.

The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics·2026
Same author

Supported Decision-Making and the Inclusion of People who Lack Decisional Capacity in Greater than Minimal Risk Research.

The Journal of law, medicine & ethics : a journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics·2026
Same author

Surrogate Decision-Making in Carceral Healthcare.

Journal of general internal medicine·2026
Same author

The Enduring Promise of Personalising Patient Preference Prediction.

Neuroethics·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 23, 2025

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
07:36

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime

Published on: May 3, 2016

8.6K

Deceiving Research Participants: Is It Inconsistent With Valid Consent?

David Wendler1

  • 1National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
|November 5, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Deception in research is often assumed to invalidate consent, especially for studies exceeding minimal risk. However, this paper argues that deception is not always inconsistent with valid consent, suggesting policy revisions for valuable research.

Keywords:
deceptionrightsvalid consent

More Related Videos

Working with Human Tissues for Translational Cancer Research
07:48

Working with Human Tissues for Translational Cancer Research

Published on: November 26, 2015

10.0K
A Familiarization Protocol Facilitates the Participation of Children with ASD in Electrophysiological Research
08:42

A Familiarization Protocol Facilitates the Participation of Children with ASD in Electrophysiological Research

Published on: July 31, 2017

8.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 23, 2025

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
07:36

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime

Published on: May 3, 2016

8.6K
Working with Human Tissues for Translational Cancer Research
07:48

Working with Human Tissues for Translational Cancer Research

Published on: November 26, 2015

10.0K
A Familiarization Protocol Facilitates the Participation of Children with ASD in Electrophysiological Research
08:42

A Familiarization Protocol Facilitates the Participation of Children with ASD in Electrophysiological Research

Published on: July 31, 2017

8.3K

Area of Science:

  • Research Ethics
  • Informed Consent
  • Deception in Research

Background:

  • Current ethical guidelines often prohibit research involving deception and greater than minimal risk.
  • This practice prevents studies using deceptive methods to evaluate experimental treatments.
  • The assumption that deception is always inconsistent with valid consent underpins these prohibitions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate arguments supporting the assumption that deception is always inconsistent with valid consent.
  • To determine if current prohibitions on deceptive research are justified.
  • To explore conditions under which deception may be compatible with valid consent.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical analysis of five key arguments against deception in research.
  • Examination of the relationship between deception and the validity of informed consent.
  • Review of ethical guidelines and regulatory policies concerning research without consent.

Main Results:

  • Deception is frequently, but not invariably, inconsistent with obtaining valid consent for research.
  • The blanket prohibition on deceptive research may unnecessarily block valuable studies.
  • Specific conditions exist where deception can be consistent with valid consent.

Conclusions:

  • Current policies and practices regarding deception in research may require revision.
  • Recognizing conditions for valid consent with deception can facilitate important research.
  • Ethical research can sometimes incorporate deception without compromising participant rights.