Mr. A. brings his daughter to participate in a study comparing treatments for childhood social phobia. The researcher is required to get one parent to sign the consent form and checks that Mom and Dad are married (they are). The researcher mentions that it is unusual for a father to bring a child for treatment—usually it is the mom. Dad replies that it is easier for him to do it because he is self-employed. Dad provides a cell phone number and the home number as a backup. The little girl never misses an appointment—Dad always brings her. When trying to schedule the 3-month follow-up appointment, Dad’s cell phone does not seem to be working, so the research assistant calls the house. Mom answers, and when the research assistant says she is calling to schedule the 3-month follow-up appointment for the research study, Mom screams, “What research study?” How would you handle this situation? Did the researcher commit any ethical violations? Was trust broken? If so, can it be repaired?
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