A procedure implemented after research participation has ended, and designed to explain to participants the nature and purpose of the research in detail (including any deception), and to check on their well-being, offer reassurance and answer their queries etc. While national psychological associations and societies, as well as other professional bodies, strongly recommend debriefing in their respective ethical codes, some researchers (based on their own findings) have cautioned that it might do more harm than good with young children who do not yet have the cognitive abilities to comprehend the information provided. Moreover, in some studies (e.g., those involving naturalistic observations), it may not be possible to debrief as the ‘participants’ were unaware of having been involved. Debriefing as described includes dehoaxing (convincing participants that they have been actually been deceived) and desensitizing (assisting participants to deal with whatever is revealed about themselves). Quite distinct from research debriefing is psychological debriefing: an approach offered as part of the provision for crisis-stage intervention with adults (and modified for use with children) who have experienced traumatic events.
See Benificence, Dehoaxing, Densensitizing