@article {Bentley293, author = {J P Bentley and P G Thacker}, title = {The influence of risk and monetary payment on the research participation decision making process}, volume = {30}, number = {3}, pages = {293--298}, year = {2004}, doi = {10.1136/jme.2002.001594}, publisher = {Institute of Medical Ethics}, abstract = {Objectives: To determine the effects of risk and payment on subjects{\textquoteright} willingness to participate, and to examine how payment influences subjects{\textquoteright} potential behaviours and risk evaluations. Methods: A 3 (level of risk) {\texttimes} 3 (level of monetary payment), between subjects, completely randomised factorial design was used. Students enrolled at one of five US pharmacy schools read a recruitment notice and informed consent form for a hypothetical study, and completed a questionnaire. Risk level was manipulated using recruitment notices and informed consent documents from hypothetical biomedical research projects. Payment levels were determined using the payment models evaluated by Dickert and Grady as a guide. Five dependent variables were assessed in the questionnaire: willingness to participate, willingness to participate with no payment, propensity to neglect to tell about restricted activities, propensity to neglect to tell about negative effects, and risk rating. Results: Monetary payment had positive effects on respondents{\textquoteright} willingness to participate in research, regardless of the level of risk. However, higher monetary payments did not appear to blind respondents to the risks of a study. Payment had some influence on respondents{\textquoteright} potential behaviours regarding concealing information about restricted activities. However, payment did not appear to have a significant effect on respondents{\textquoteright} propensity to neglect to tell researchers about negative effects. Conclusions: Monetary payments appear to do what they are intended to do: make subjects more willing to participate in research. Concerns about payments blinding subjects to risks could not be substantiated in the present study. However, the findings do raise other concerns{\textemdash}notably the potential for payments to diminish the integrity of a study{\textquoteright}s findings. Future research is critical to make sound decisions about the payment of research subjects.}, issn = {0306-6800}, URL = {https://jme.bmj.com/content/30/3/293}, eprint = {https://jme.bmj.com/content/30/3/293.full.pdf}, journal = {Journal of Medical Ethics} }