Which of the following is not among the three general risk categories in social/behavioral research?

Which of the following is not among the three general risk categories in social/behavioral research?

• A. Physical harm
• B. Invasion of privacy
• C. Breach of confidentiality
• D. Study procedures

Answer: (A)

In social/behavioral research, thinking about risks focuses on potential harms to participants. The commonly discussed general risk categories are physical harm, psychological harm, and social harm. Privacy-related concerns—like invasion of privacy and breaches of confidentiality—are important, but they’re seen as aspects of privacy risk rather than one of the main harm categories themselves. The item that doesn’t fit as a general risk category is study procedures. That term describes the actions participants go through in the study, not a type of harm or risk. So, study procedures aren’t considered one of the general risk categories; they refer to the protocol rather than a category of harm.

In social/behavioral research, thinking about risks focuses on potential harms to participants. The commonly discussed general risk categories are physical harm, psychological harm, and social harm. Privacy-related concerns—like invasion of privacy and breaches of confidentiality—are important, but they’re seen as aspects of privacy risk rather than one of the main harm categories themselves.

The item that doesn’t fit as a general risk category is study procedures. That term describes the actions participants go through in the study, not a type of harm or risk. So, study procedures aren’t considered one of the general risk categories; they refer to the protocol rather than a category of harm.