Okuzeka
Psychology vocabulary · Research Methods and Statistics

Informed consent

Meaning in psychology, with examples

nounCore term

In psychology, informed consent means: A person's voluntary agreement to take part in research or treatment after being told clearly what it involves, including risks, benefits and the right to withdraw.

In Turkish: bilgilendirilmiş onam, aydınlatılmış onam

How it is used

Required by ethics committees and professional codes. Researchers obtain informed consent, often with a consent form; with children, parents give consent and the child gives assent. Therapists also gain informed consent before therapy starts.

Example sentences

  1. Informed consent was obtained from all participants before testing.

  2. The ethics committee asked us to simplify the informed consent form for older adults.

Common collocations

  • obtain informed consent
  • give informed consent
  • informed consent form
  • withdraw consent
  • participantA person who takes part in a research study, for example by completing tasks, answering questionnaires or being interviewed.
  • confidentialityThe professional duty to keep what a client or research participant shares private, except in clearly defined situations such as a serious risk of harm.
  • experimentA study in which the researcher deliberately changes one factor and measures the effect on another, while keeping other conditions as constant as possible.
  • clientA person who receives psychological therapy, counselling or another professional service; in therapy this word is often used instead of patient.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Research Methods and Statistics

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.