Identify one way faculty researchers can possibly avoid undue influence of student subjects.

Identify one way faculty researchers can possibly avoid undue influence of student subjects.

• A. Avoid recruiting their own students in the research
• B. Offer extra incentives to participate
• C. Post notices about the study in student groups
• D. Recruit only from outside the department

Answer: (A)

The main idea is reducing power differences between researchers and participants to keep consent truly voluntary. When a faculty member recruits their own students, those students may feel obliged to participate due to the authority of the instructor, concerns about grades, or future recommendations. This creates undue influence and can bias both participation and results. By avoiding recruiting their own students, the study lowers this pressure, helping ensure that students choose to participate for genuine reasons rather than fear of repercussions, which supports ethical, voluntary participation and more reliable data. Other options can introduce their own issues: offering extra incentives may sway participation, posting notices in student groups can create peer pressure or expectations, and recruiting only from outside the department, while reducing the power dynamic, may raise concerns about feasibility or sampling bias.

The main idea is reducing power differences between researchers and participants to keep consent truly voluntary. When a faculty member recruits their own students, those students may feel obliged to participate due to the authority of the instructor, concerns about grades, or future recommendations. This creates undue influence and can bias both participation and results. By avoiding recruiting their own students, the study lowers this pressure, helping ensure that students choose to participate for genuine reasons rather than fear of repercussions, which supports ethical, voluntary participation and more reliable data. Other options can introduce their own issues: offering extra incentives may sway participation, posting notices in student groups can create peer pressure or expectations, and recruiting only from outside the department, while reducing the power dynamic, may raise concerns about feasibility or sampling bias.