Can Deception Be Justified in Social Research - Assignment Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Can deception be justified in social research? Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2010 Introduction In social research deception can be defined as failing to give full information to participants so that they can participate in something that they may refuse to. Another definition is the use of false instructions and alterations in laboratory research. A representation of another person’s work in a manner different from the real form may also be referred to as deception. Deception in social research may be in different degrees. A low degree deception is one where the researcher may limit the information he or she gives to the participants so that they can imply their natural response. A higher degree research is one where the researcher may lie about the purpose of his study or the reason for involving that particular group. However, deception in social research is use as a tool for obtaining information from the subjects under study (Babbie, 2008). Ethical issues in social research There are codes of conduct that were developed in social research to ensure that research, especially that involving humans is carried out in an ethical manner. One of the ethical requirements of social research is that the research subjects should be informed of the research project and should be allowed to choose where to participate and where not to. Information that should be given includes issues such as the research procedure, the purpose of the study, and the risks and the benefits anticipated in the research process. The subjects should be allowed to ask any question regarding the study and also to withdraw at any given time if they wish to. Another ethical principle in research is the principle of beneficence that states that the researcher should not do any harm and should maximize the possible benefits of the research at the same time minimizing the possible harms caused by the research. However, this principle does not state the minimum harm that should be allowed especially when the research project is of benefit to the society. It just helps in guiding the researchers in the best direction (Kimmel, 2000). ASA guidelines on use of deception The American Sociologists Association has its guidelines concerning the use of deception in social research. According to these guidelines, sociologists should not use deceptive research methods unless firstly, they have confirmed that use of deception will not cause any harm to the research subjects and this has also been conformed by prospective applied value of the study and that other similarly effective methods that do not involve deception are not feasible. Secondly, they have been approved by the institution review boards or any other body that controls research ethics. Another provision is that sociologists should not deceive participants about the important aspects of the research that may affect their willingness to participate in the study. These include physical risks or discomforts that may be experienced in the process of the study. It is also stated that if deception must be used, the sociologists must clear any misconceptions that the participants may develop before he or she concludes the research. In few cases, the sociologists may be required to hide their identity in order to carry out a research that would not be possible with their identification as researchers. In such cases, the research should only be carried if it involves minimal risks for the participants and also if they have obtained approval from the institutional review boards or other bodies controlling research ethics. Confidentiality must also be maximally maintained. Generally, deception is not allows in social research but there are exceptional cases where it is allowed (Bailey, 2007). Justification of deception The main idea in conducting research is to get people give out their information in their own words as they would do while on their own. However, this may be difficult when they are aware of the presence of a stranger who is taking note of what they are saying. Some researchers justify the use of deception in research in cases where the study results will be considered invalid if deception as not used. However, there are serious legal issues concerning use of deceptive research unlike use of deceptive research methods. Use of deceptive methods in research may be in some circumstances justified. Some of the justifications are because some researchers may change their normal behavior when they are aware that they are being studied. Deception may therefore be applied to ensure that the subjects of study behave normally in their situations. This is because when they change their behavior, the research results may be false. Researchers are mostly faced with problems when the subjects after realizing that they are being monitored, they may change their behavior (McGlone, 2009). Such difficulty was explained by Erving Goffman during his study of inmate at Saint Elizabeth hospital. Goffman described the hospital environment as total institution that confiscate the inmates, define schedules for them and also monitor their behavior. They are subjected to batch life where under the humiliation of their attendants. These characteristics were drawn by Goffman after conducting research on various institutions such as boarding schools and prisons. When the inmates are institutionalized, they loose al their freedoms and they degrade their “self” since they live under standards. For example, patients live under regulations, dressed in uniforms and face a lot of humiliation. Goffman concluded that the social world of inmates where they live in an institutionalized world not portraying their normal behaviors (Goffman, 1962). This is an indication that carrying out research that will require the inmates to behave in their normal ways would not be possible due to influence of their situation. This case can also apply to other social researches where once the researcher identifies him/herself and his intentions in the study, this may be creating an institutionalized situation like that of the inmates. They may therefore behave according to the standards they perceive to belong to the researcher. The researcher may therefore not get the accurate information that would have been given under the normal situations. In the study by Rosenhan (1973), on being sane in insane places where 11 out of 12 patients were diagnosed with the same illness but on discharge, all of them were given the same diagnosis. From this study, Rosenhan concluded that it would be difficult to differentiate between sane and insane people when all of them are in psychiatric hospitals. His main question is whether the outstanding characteristics that lead to diagnosis are within the patients themselves or in their environments and the contexts in which the researchers find them. This can be applied in research where if the researcher wants to get the subjects in their normal characteristics, he or she should not create a different environment. The subjects will respond according to the environment that has been created and not according to their normal characteristics. This will required the researcher to use deception to avoid creating the situation. First of all, the researcher may not disclose the intentions of his presence since this may create tension among the subjects (Rosenhan, 1973). There are other studies where deception may be justified for example where the study is testing the existence of a certain psychological phenomena such as obedience and trustworthiness. Disclosing to the subjects that you are investigating such aspects may yield totally false results. Deception may therefore apply in declining to state the aspects that are being tested. However, there are some types of social research where deception should not be used. Some researches may be involving processes that are harmful to the subjects but on the other hand, the results may be of benefit to them. In such studies, it is important to inform the subjects the research processes, the expected results and how they will benefit them. In such a case, the subjects may be willing to participate in the study even if its procedures are risky so as to enjoy the benefits (Engel, & Schutt, 2005). From my own point of view, deception should be allowed in social research so as to obtain valid results that are not interrupted by the presence of the researcher. Deception may be applied in areas such as concealing the study procedure or the intention of the researcher. For example, where the research is involving interview, the researcher may hide his intentions of asking various questions to the participants. Deception becomes risky in research process that may cause harm to the participants. The main problem in the use of deception is where it results in false research results. Conclusion Deception is against the codes of conduct in social research. However, there are some situations where deception may be used for the sake of accuracy of the results obtained from the research study. Some of the situations where deception may be allowed includes where the information may not be considered valid if deception is not used. Deception may be important where the researcher want to get information at the normal situations of the participants. This is because the participants may change their behavior in the presence of the researcher. The ASA guidelines of the code of conduct during social research also allow deception but on condition that it does not cause harm to the participants and has also been approved by the institution review board. However use of deception may be unnecessary where it will result in false research results. It can therefore be appropriately used in research procedure but not in altering research results. Bibliography Kimmel, A., 2000, Ethics and values in applied social research, SAGE, London. Engel, R., & Schutt, R., 2005, The practice of research in social work, Volume1, SAGE, London. Babbie, E., 2008, The basics of social research, Cengage Learning, Boston. Bailey, C., 2007, A guide to qualitative field research, Pine Forge Press, California. McGlone, M., 2009, The Interplay of Truth and Deception: New Agendas in Theory and Research, Taylor & Francis, London. Goffman, E.,1962, Asylums: essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates, Aldine Pub. Co., Chicago. Rosenhan, D. (1973). On being sane in insane places. Science, 179, 250-258. Read More