Question

Which is an example of a situation where deferential vulnerability might be a factor?

Answer 1

A physician recruiting his patients

In deferential vulnerability the authority over the prospective subject is due to informal power relationships rather than formal hierarchies. The power relationship may be based on gender, race, or class inequalities, or they can be inequalities in knowledge (such as in the doctor-patient relationship). Like institutional vulnerability, deferential vulnerability increases the risk of harm that informed consent would be compromised because it is not fully voluntary.