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“You knew what you were getting into”: Perspective differences in gauging informed consent

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  • Schlund, Rachel
  • Bohns, Vanessa K.

Abstract

We examine differences between perceived and experienced consent in organizational contexts—specifically, the aspect of consent that reflects how informed consenters feel. We theorize that people tasked with soliciting consent overestimate the extent to which consenters feel fully informed of what they are agreeing to and thus feel they have truly consented. We provide support for these predictions across six pre-registered studies (N = 2,993) and eight supplemental pre-registered studies (N = 4,406) that establish causal and mediation evidence, downstream organizational consequences, and real-world relevance. This research reveals that even when an agreement meets the legal criteria for consent, there may be misaligned perceptions of employees’ feelings of consent, with consequences for employees’ relationship with their organization. The current studies offer a significant step forward in understanding the markedly understudied role of consent in organizations.

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  • Schlund, Rachel & Bohns, Vanessa K., 2025. "“You knew what you were getting into”: Perspective differences in gauging informed consent," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:186:y:2025:i:c:s0749597824000785
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2024.104386
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