Which item is NOT listed as an ethical safeguard in social influence research?

Which item is NOT listed as an ethical safeguard in social influence research?

• A. Participants should be given the right to withdraw.
• B. Participants should not be put in embarrassing situations.
• C. Participants should be fully debriefed at the end of the study.
• D. Participants should be paid large sums of money.

Answer: (D)

Ethical safeguards in social influence research aim to protect participants’ welfare and autonomy. Allowing participants to withdraw at any time preserves their control over involvement. Avoiding embarrassing or psychologically harmful situations minimizes potential harm during the study. Debriefing at the end ensures participants understand what happened, the deception used (if any), and their rights, which helps address any lingering effects. Paying large sums of money, on the other hand, isn’t an ethical safeguard; it can unduly influence someone to participate, compromising voluntary consent. While compensation for time or inconvenience is acceptable, large payments risk coercion and distort the voluntary nature of participation. That makes the item involving large payments the one not listed as an ethical safeguard.

Ethical safeguards in social influence research aim to protect participants’ welfare and autonomy. Allowing participants to withdraw at any time preserves their control over involvement. Avoiding embarrassing or psychologically harmful situations minimizes potential harm during the study. Debriefing at the end ensures participants understand what happened, the deception used (if any), and their rights, which helps address any lingering effects. Paying large sums of money, on the other hand, isn’t an ethical safeguard; it can unduly influence someone to participate, compromising voluntary consent. While compensation for time or inconvenience is acceptable, large payments risk coercion and distort the voluntary nature of participation. That makes the item involving large payments the one not listed as an ethical safeguard.