Giving money to healthy research subjects: Reflections on the contribution of a relational autonomy analysis

Much of the current debate about monetary offers to subjects takes place within a liberal individualistic framework. This thesis considers the practice of giving healthy research subjects money through a new lens---that of relational autonomy. This lens is first applied to the issue of monetary offers generally. The analysis then moves to the specific, applying the lens to the leading payment models proposed in the ethics literature to see what relational autonomy brings to the ethical analysis of these models.; A relational autonomy analysis of monetary offers calls on us to consider issues relating to altruism and commercialism, voluntary consent (including coercion, undue influence, and constrained choice), and exploitation and justice. This research relates to such topics as subject motivations, subject demographics and cost consequences of offering different amounts of money and of implementing different payment models.; The way in which money is offered can impact the ethical propriety of monetary offers to subjects. Five payment models which are proposed in the existing ethics literature are examined through the lens of relational autonomy. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...