Misinformation in Experimental Political Science

The American Political Science Association recently cautioned against the use of misinformation (giving research participants false information about the state of the world) in research with human subjects. This recommendation signals a growing recognition, as experimental research itself grows in p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPerspectives on politics Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 1210 - 1220
Main Author Barnfield, Matthew
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.12.2023
Subjects
Deception
Election results
Ethics
Experiments
False information
Inference
Informed consent
Methods, Ethics, Motivations: Connecting the How and Why of Political Science
Misinformation
Political campaigns
Political science
Polls & surveys
Presidential elections
Research subjects
Researchers
Truth
New York
United States > US
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Summary:The American Political Science Association recently cautioned against the use of misinformation (giving research participants false information about the state of the world) in research with human subjects. This recommendation signals a growing recognition, as experimental research itself grows in prevalence in political science, that deceptive practices pose ethical problems. But what is wrong with misinformation in particular? I argue that while this question certainly has an ethical dimension, misinformation is bad for inference too. Misinformation moves us away from answering questions about the political world effectively. I propose a straightforward, intuitive solution to this twofold problem: tell the truth.
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ISSN:1537-5927
1541-0986
DOI:10.1017/S1537592722003115