Berkeley IRB: 1 + 1 = Undue Influence

In a series of four tweets, Nicholas Christakis of Yale reports a horror story out of Berkeley:

• colleague’s experience with Berkeley IRB: including both the following sentences in an appeal for a survey may result in undo influence.

• sayeth the IRB: so just pick one of 2 sentences “Your participation would mean a lot to me and help my research.”

• sayeth the IRB: so just pick one: “Many of your neighbors are participating, and I’d like to hear your opinion, too.”

• 100,000 people die from medical care yearly, none die from surveys, & our IRB’s are wordsmithing to avoid undue influence?