When conducting an anonymous survey for a psychology experiment what are the rules for informed consent?

Respect for persons requires that subjects, to the degree that they are capable, be given the opportunity to choose what shall or shall not happen to them. This opportunity is provided when adequate standards for informed consent are satisfied. "While the importance of informed consent is unquestioned, controversy prevails over the nature and possibility of an informed consent.

Nonetheless, there is widespread agreement that the consent process can be analyzed as containing three elements: information, comprehension and voluntariness. " Information, comprehension, and voluntariness is defined in several paragraphs. See the source link.

Informed consent is all about communicating the nature of the survey. Is it voluntary? Is personal information expected (you say it's anonymous, but is that entirely true?)?

Does it deal with sensitive or upsetting issues? Could some answers adversely impact the respondent (e.g. Confessing to a crime)? Will the answers be handled by a third party?

You inform them of the important information, you make sure they understand (this is a gray area), and then they either consent or they don't. The actual rules are defined by whatever ethics board is overseeing your work. It's the ethics board that will tell you what you need to disclose, whether or not you need a signed waiver, and so on.

If there are no ethical bureaucrats looking over your shoulder, you just have to use your best judgement.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.

Related Questions