Why is deception sometimes necessary in social psychological research?
The pros and cons of deception in psychological research represents an extremely complex subject. On the surface, we are tempted to reject the notion of deception in psychological research outright. However, as you are going to discover, things are not as simple as deferring to that opinion each and every single time. Show
What Is Deception In Psychological Research?When it comes to the concept of research, there is no question that ethics is one of the most essential components there is. This is certainly true for all forms of psychological research. The need for ethics in psychological research is extremely high. Most of us understand this fact. However, there are going to be times in which ethics as we understand the concept in broad terms is going to be subject to a certain degree of manipulation. In terms of psychological research, this manipulation is essential to a certain degree. Without question, when it comes to psychological or sociological experiments, there are going to be situations in which you do not want the subject to know everything. In order for the experiment to be effective and meaningful, you are going to want to keep certain things from the patient at certain times during the experiment. Obviously, this is a form of deception. Is it an essential form of deception? It can be. But while deception may be essential in certain aspects of psychological research, the topic of ethics in this branch of research remains a hot topic of discussion. New discoveries are being made about our minds, seemingly every day. We have to keep this in mind, and we have to also consider the notion that deception in psychological research is capable of causing harm, unintentional or otherwise. Doctors and psychology groups throughout the world are constantly reexamining and updating their ethical codes, and there’s a reason for that. While we want to acknowledge the value of a certain degree of deception within certain research projects, we also want to constantly consider the pros and cons of deception in psychological research. As you can imagine, weighing the pros and cons of deception in psychological or sociological research can certainly make for complicated discussions. The Pros Of Deception In Psychological ResearchIf you want to study some examples of deception in psychological research, look into the Stanford Prison Experiment, in addition to the BBC follow-up. You will also want to do some reading on the Piliavin and Piliavin Experiment. And as you study those particular examples of deception in psychological research, consider the following pros of deception in psychological research: 1. Deception is necessary 2. The intentions are generally good 3. The ends really can justify the means sometimes 4. The ethics of psychological research are never complacent 5. A lack of deception can sometimes ruin everything 6. A universal approach to ethics is unrealistic These are some of the more obvious pros of deception in psychological research. However, the pros do not paint a complete picture by any means. Cons Of Deception In Psychological ResearchThere is obviously some good to be found in utilizing deception in psychological research. However, there are some cons that should be taken into account, as well: 1. Even the best of intentions can go horribly wrong 2. The potential for abuse still exists 3. The risk factors remain 4. Does knowledge truly create a bias? 5. The morality of the whole concept is extremely complex In ConclusionAs you can see from this list of the pros and cons of deception in psychological research, there is really no such thing as a simple answer. With that thought in mind, it is your responsibility to weigh the pros and cons carefully, before deciding for yourself. Why is deception sometimes necessary in research?Subject deception is typically used to promote scientific validity, with subjects provided with false or incomplete information about the research in order to obtain unbiased data with respect to the subjects' attitudes and behavior when complete or truthful disclosure is expected to produce biased results.
Is deception necessary in psychological research?(a) Psychologists do not conduct a study involving deception unless they have determined that the use of deceptive techniques is justified by the study's significant prospective scientific, educational, or applied value and that effective nondeceptive alternative procedures are not feasible.
What is the purpose of deception in psychological experiments?In psychology, deception is commonly used to increase experimental control. Yet, its use has provoked concerns that it raises participants' suspicions, prompts sec- ond-guessing of experimenters' true intentions, and ultimately distorts behavior and endangers the control it is meant to achieve.
What is deception and why is it important?Deception is the act of misleading or wrongly informing someone about the true nature of a situation. In psychological research, deception is a highly debatable issue. Some believe that using deception is dishonest and unethical, while others see its significance in creating valuable research results.
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