The Competence and Freedom of Children to Make Choices Regarding Participation in Research

A Statement

Bibliographic Data

ID11563282
AuthorsLucy Ferguson (Michigan State University, corresponding author), Lucy Rau Ferguson
Year1978
Volume34
Issue2
Pages114-121
Publication date1978-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social Issues (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-4537 • E-ISSN: 1540-4560
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1540-4560.1978.tb01033.x
PMID11664922
OpenAlexW2077187798
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited1

The child is considered to be a person with the right of self‐determination. This statement holds that children should participate in research only under conditions of adequately informed consent, that parents must be fully informed about research procedures and purposes, but that parental consent is a sufficient condition only for infants or children without adequate capacity for informed choice. Children should receive complete explanations consonant with their level of understanding; guidelines are suggested for different age groups. Incomplete disclosure may be warranted if followed by adequate debriefing; however, deception is thought never to be justified. Special problems of invasion of privacy arising in naturalistic field studies are discussed. The intrinsic value of science is proposed both as justification and as motivation for children's participation as research subjects

Alternative medicine · Competence (human resources · Debriefing · Deception · Developmental psychology · Informed consent · Parental consent · Political science · Statement (logic · Ethics and Legal Issues in Pediatric Healthcare · Ethics in medical practice · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Psychology of Social Influence · Social Psychology

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