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Informed Consent: A Methodological Confound?
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by Edward Burkley III, Shawn McFarland, Wendy Walker, and Jennifer Young - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Category: Social
The current research investigated the statement of the right to leave at any time, expressed in the informed consent form, and its effects on performance. We gave 1 of 2 types of informed consent forms (with or without the specific statement concerning the right to leave at any time) to each research participant. A list of 22 anagrams was used to assess performance. The results indicated that participants who knew they had the right to leave scored significantly higher than participants who were not aware of this right. This finding indicates that informed consent has an effect on performance and can be a possible methodological confound in research.
Faculty Supervisor: Susan L. Thomas