passive deception

the withholding of certain information from research participants, such as not informing them of the true focus of the study. As long as certain conditions are met (e.g., debriefing), this approach is generally considered acceptable, because researchers may not want to reveal their hypotheses to study participants in case this leads them—consciously or nonconsciously—to adjust their behavior. Compare active deception.

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Psychology term of the day

March 17th 2025

paranoid delusion

loosely, any of a variety of false personal beliefs tenaciously sustained even in the face of incontrovertible evidence to the contrary. These include delusions of grandeur, delusional jealousy, or, most frequently, delusions of persecution.