Participants Do Not Read Consent Forms in Online Studies

Consent forms are a cornerstone of ethical research, a required part of nearly any study. Important information about the study and risks are given in plain view for participants to read and agree to before conducting research. In online studies, the consent form is not read to participants, but presented to them, Meaning, they can skip it. We test whether participants likely read consent forms in seven online studies across three different panels and 7,378 people. Using both conservative and liberal criteria, we find between 6 to 8.9% of participants could plausibly read the consent forms, 17.8% could plausibly have skimmed them. This problem is also possibly getting worse over the past decade. We further show in the general population only older participants are more likely to read consent forms. From a practical perspective, important information should be given not only in the consent form but also afterwards if researchers want participants to know something. From an ethical perspective, we should not interpret agreeing to a consent form as having engaged in informed consent.