ERIC Number: ED604039
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Apr-29
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
An Experimental Study of Reading Online Consent Forms and Participant Honesty in a Self-Report Survey
Jakiel, Laura M.; Roehrig, Alysia D.
AERA Online Paper Repository, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (San Antonio, TX, Apr 27-May 1, 2017)
We experimentally tested whether students (n = 509) read our study's consent form and if they were honest in self-reporting their actions. In our experimental deception group (n = 245) we inserted a requirement for a mandatory blood donation in our consent form and found that only 11.4% of our experimental group were aware of what they had agreed to do. When we later asked for a self-report on whether participants read the consent form, the majority of participants reported that they skimmed it (57.95% control, 57.96% deception), or did not read it (21.21% control, 25.31% deception). Of those that indicated they skimmed it, few (8.71% control, 9.79% deception) accurately identified the unusual request in our study. Ethical considerations discussed.
Descriptors: Ethics, Measurement Techniques, Functional Reading, Records (Forms), Online Surveys, Responses, College Students
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Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A