Premium
Deception in marketing research: Ethical, methodological, and disciplinary implications
Author(s) -
Kimmel Allan J.,
Smith N. Craig
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
psychology and marketing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.035
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1520-6793
pISSN - 0742-6046
DOI - 10.1002/mar.1025
Subject(s) - deception , psychology , discipline , marketing research , ethical issues , marketing ethics , empirical research , social psychology , engineering ethics , business ethics , epistemology , sociology , marketing , public relations , social science , political science , philosophy , engineering , business
Although marketing researchers often find it necessary to deceive their research participants, little attention has been given within marketing to the ethical issues underlying the use of deception or to the potential consequences of deceptive research practices. This article provides a conceptual starting point for developing a more complete understanding of deception in marketing research, including an ethical analysis from the viewpoint of consequentialist and deontological theories of moral reasoning. A research agenda is outlined that draws on the extensive behavioral science literature on this topic and includes empirical questions relevant to the ethical, methodological, and disciplinary implications of using deceptive practices in marketing research. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.