True or False: Psychologists must provide participants with detailed information about a study unless there are scientific or humane reasons not to do so.

The principle that psychologists must provide participants with detailed information about a study is rooted in ethical guidelines meant to ensure informed consent. The correct response indicates that there may be exceptions to this requirement under certain circumstances, particularly when there are scientific or humane reasons for not disclosing detailed information.

In research involving human subjects, honesty about the study’s nature is crucial; however, there are situations, such as when the disclosure of study details might significantly bias the results, where psychologists can justifiably withhold certain information. For instance, if revealing the full purpose or methodology of a study would compromise its integrity or the validity of the results, researchers may decide to limit the information provided while still ensuring that participants consent to be part of the research.

This distinction underlines the importance of balancing participants’ rights to informed consent with the scientific necessity of preserving the study’s integrity, which is likely why the correct answer reflects this nuanced understanding.