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informed consent

a person’s voluntary agreement to participate in a procedure on the basis of his or her understanding of its nature, its potential benefits and possible risks, and available alternatives. Informed consent is a fundamental requirement of research with humans and typically involves having participants sign documents, prior to the start of a study, that describe specifically what their involvement would entail and noting that they are free to decline participation or to withdraw from the research at any time. In therapeutic contexts, the principle of informed consent has provided a foundation for do not resuscitate (DNR) orders and other advance directives and for the natural-death acts that have been passed into law throughout the United States. See also institutional review board.

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Psychology term of the day

March 16th 2025

child care worker

child care worker

an individual trained to attend to children on a day-to-day basis in a variety of group settings, including child care centers, schools, businesses, private households, and health care institutions. Child care workers perform such tasks as dressing, feeding, bathing, and overseeing play.