Ethical Boundaries in Psychological Deception Tactics

Abstract

Psychological deception tactics are utilized in diverse fields including law enforcement interrogation, intelligence gathering, experimental psychology, marketing, cybersecurity, and behavioral nudging. While deception can yield strategic advantages, it risks ethical violations related to autonomy, consent, dignity, and coercion. This paper provides a multidisciplinary evaluation of deception tactics, drawing upon moral philosophy, applied psychology, legal frameworks, and institutional policy. The proposed Ethical Boundaries Deception Model (EBDM) classifies deception across three domains—informational, emotional, and contextual manipulation—and evaluates conditions under which each may be ethically permissible or prohibited. This paper concludes that transparency, proportionality, informed consent, and harm-minimization must guide ethical deployment of psychological deception, with strict limitations in research, public policy, and institutional security.