scholarly journals Semantic, Logical, and Ethical Considerations of Patients’ Decisions in the Resolution of Moral Dilemmas

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-123
Author(s):  
Tomasz Rzepiński ◽  
Ewa Baum ◽  
Agnieszka Żok
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Medical Practice ◽  
Moral Dilemma ◽  
Belief System ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
Moral Orientation ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Decision Making Processes

AbstractDecision-making procedures in medical practice are often analysed by both philosophers of science and ethicists, as well as statisticians, clinicians and methodologists. The paper focuses on decisions made by patients in situations of moral dilemma. The main purpose is to analyse the strategies used in resolving such dilemmas. First, the concept of a ‘situation of moral dilemma’ is clarified. Then, two types of strategies for resolving such situations are distinguished. The first strategy requires revising the patient’s belief system or moral orientation. The second one includes a group of non-revision beliefs strategies (NRB). The authors argue in support of the thesis that NRB strategies are, in fact, the patient’s first choice when it comes to resolving moral dilemmas. The paper analyses situations where the NRB strategies may prove effective, as well as situations where they fail and where the solution of the moral dilemma must be addressed by revising the accepted belief system. The findings will help to better understand patients’ decision-making processes.

scholarly journals Virtue ethics: an approach to moral dilemmas in nursing

Curationis ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Arries
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Virtue Ethics ◽  
Moral Agent ◽  
Moral Dilemma ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
Moral Decision Making ◽  
Whistle Blowing ◽  
Moral Principles ◽  
Principles Of Justice ◽  
The One

Nurses are increasingly confronted with situations of moral difficulty, such as not to feed terminally ill patients, whistle blowing, or participation in termination of pregnancy. Most of these moral dilemmas are often analyzed using the principle-based approach which applies the four moral principles of justice, autonomy, beneficence, and nonmalificence. In some instances, consequentialism is considered, but these frameworks have their limitations. Their limitations has to do with a consideration for the interpersonal nature of clinical nursing practice on the one hand, and is not always clear on how to judge which consequences are best on the other hand. When principles are in conflict it is not always easy to decide which principle should dominate. Furthermore, these frameworks do not take into account the importance of the interpersonal and emotional element of human experience. On the contrary, decision making about moral issues in healthcare demands that nurses exercise rational control over emotions. This clearly focuses the attention on the nurse as moral agent and in particular their character. In this article I argue that virtue ethics as an approach, which focus of the character of a person, might provide a more holistic analysis of moral dilemmas in nursing and might facilitate more flexible and creative solutions when combined with other theories of moral decision-making. Advancing this argument, firstly, I provide the central features of virtue ethics. Secondly I describe a story in which a moral dilemma is evident. Lastly I apply virtue ethics as an approach to this moral dilemma and in particular focusing on the virtues inherent in the nurse as moral agent in the story.

Ethics and Evaluative Consultations with Children in Small to Mid-Sized Australian Non-Government Organisations

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanne Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Program Improvement ◽  
Ethical Guidelines ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Children’S Voices

The value of listening to children's voices is well acknowledged. The vast body of literature surrounding this topic discusses children's voices in pedagogy, theory, methodology, and through empirical research. While some of this literature has focused on ethical considerations surrounding evaluative consultations with children in applied practice settings, there is a shortage of literature specifically relevant to small and medium-sized nongovernment organisations (NGOs). These organisations typically conduct consultations on a smaller scale and with fewer resources than their larger counterparts. This paper refers to Australian ethical guidelines using a practice example from a mid-sized NGO to examine ethics in child consultation from a practice-based program improvement perspective. The paper examines whether consultations with children always require formal ethics approval and discusses terminology and considerations surrounding ethical decision making processes.

Teaching Biopolitics in a Professional Curriculum

1986 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick G. O'Hara
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Belief System ◽  
Public Organizations ◽  
Public Administrators ◽  
Graduate Study ◽  
Graduate Teaching ◽  
Decision Making Processes

This article considers the ways in which teachers of public administration can address biopolitical issues within an established professional curriculum. The author distinguishes between the teleological and instrumental aspects of a belief system, holding that biobehavioral explanation can be pedagogically useful and can provide public administrators with a model for assessing and responding to workplace phenomena. The article proposes that undergraduate and graduate teaching impose different standards on an instructor seeking to introduce biobehavioral and biostructural concepts. The different standards arise out of the explicit and focused career instrumentality of graduate study in public administration, as well as age graded differences in receptivity to particular propositions about human nature. Finally, this article details some ways in which biobehavioral explanation can be introduced in organizational behavior classes and in classes that consider the structure of public organizations and their decision-making processes.

scholarly journals Moral decision-making and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Romero-Rivas ◽  
Sara Rodríguez-Cuadrado
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
The Self ◽  
Moral Decision ◽  
Moral Decision Making ◽  
Psychological Burden ◽  
Psychological Conditions ◽  
Decision Making Processes

The COVID-19 pandemic entails challenging psychological conditions for the population, requiring them to make many decisions under stress. In this study, 641 participants were presented with different moral decision-making tasks, and completed a survey on mental health status and experiences, concerns, behaviors and beliefs related to the COVID-19. Results showed that the pandemic is placing a great psychological burden on the population. Also, that decision-making processes are being affected during the crisis, in a dichotomous way. Altruistic behaviors are promoted when people are suffering with high levels of psychological impact, and when they are concerned about others contracting the disease. However, egoistic behaviors are facilitated when concerns affect the self. Similarly, psychological impact, concerns about the self, and worsened physical health predict more automatic responses to framing problems and moral dilemmas. Nevertheless, when concerns relate to the others, or when people are more informed and/or carefree, more controlled responses emerge.

The Authentic Catch-22: the Effect of Following True Self on Decision Satisfaction in Moral Dilemmas

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaiyuan Chen ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Matthew Friedman ◽  
Rebecca Jean Schlegel
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Boundary Condition ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Moral Dilemma ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
True Self ◽  
Total N ◽  
Lay Theory ◽  
Decision Satisfaction ◽  
Catch 22

A widespread lay theory suggests that following one’s true self leads to satisfying decision-making. Empirical research suggests that when people feel like they have followed their true self, they indeed feel more satisfied with their decisions. We aimed to examine a potential boundary condition of this effect: decision-making in the context of moral dilemmas that seemingly lack an easy solution. We suspected that this may be a boundary condition because another growing line of research suggests that people believe true selves are morally good. Thus, when people encounter a moral dilemma, they may feel like they are violating their moral true self no matter what they choose. In turn, they may feel dissatisfied with their choices when they believe they are following their true self relative to employing other decision-making instructions. Three experiments (total N = 568) were designed to test whether and how attempts to follow one’s true self influences decision satisfaction in moral dilemmas. The results consistently indicate that attempts to follow the true

scholarly journals Dynamics of heart activities during moral dilemmas solving by children 4—11 years old

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 97-109
Author(s):  
I.M. Sozinova ◽  
A.V. Bakhchina ◽  
Y.I. Aleksandrov
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Moral Dilemma ◽  
Heart Rhythm ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Group 4 ◽  
Moral Decisions ◽  
Adaptation Processes ◽  
Group Member

The goal of the present research was to investigate psychophysiological bases of moral dilemmas solving by children. We assessed the heart rhythm of Russian children aged 4—11 (N=75) during interview, solving moral dilemmas, and subsequent questionnaires. We compared data of two age group: 4—7 years old and 8—11 years old. The task of moral dilemma was to choose who would take a resource: an in-group member (resource is needed for an optional benefit) or an out-group member (resource is needed for survival). questionnaires. There was a significant decrease of heart rate moral decisions in younger children (4—7 years old). There was no differences of heart rate moral decisions in elder children (8—11 years old). We speculate that younger children have no mismatch during decision making due to scarcity of their new experience. They do not have to activate the adaptation processes during moral dilemmas solving. The results are discussed from the position of the system evolutionary approach and the notions of changes in heart rate variability as an indicator of adaptation processes.

Moral dilemmas involving anthropological and ethical dimensions in healthcare curriculum

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1238-1249
Author(s):  
Ignacio Macpherson ◽  
María Victoria Roqué ◽  
Ignacio Segarra
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
Nursing Curriculum ◽  
Educational Strategies ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Discussion Paper ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Recommended Treatment ◽  
Sequential Structure ◽  
Moral Problems

Background Currently a variety of novel scenarios have appeared within nursing practice such as confidentiality of a patient victim of abuse, justice in insolvent patients, poorly informed consent delivery, non-satisfactory medicine outputs, or the possibility to reject a recommended treatment. These scenarios presuppose skills that are not usually acquired during the degree. Thus, the implementation of teaching approaches that promote the acquisition of these skills in the nursing curriculum is increasingly relevant. Objective The article analyzes an academic model which integrates in the curriculum a series of specific theoretical concepts together with practical skills to acquire the basic ethic assessment competency. Research design The project includes designing two subjects, General Anthropology and Ethics-Bioethics, with an applied approach in the nursing curriculum. The sequential structure of the curriculum in both subjects is constituted by three learning domains (theoretical, practical, and communicative) with different educational strategies. Ethical considerations No significant ethical considerations as this is a discussion paper. Findings The model was structured from the anthropology’s concepts and decision-making process, applied to real situations. The structure of the three domains theoretical–practical–communicative is present in each session. Discussion It is observed that theoretical domain fosters the capacity for critical analysis and subsequent ability to judge diverse situations. The practical domain reflected two significant difficulties: students’ resistance to internalizing moral problems and the tendency to superficial criticism. The communicative domain has frequently shown that the conflicting points are in the principles to be applied. Conclusion We conclude that this design achieves its objectives and may provide future nursing professionals with ethical competences especially useful in healthcare practice. The three domains of the presented scheme are associated with the same process used in decision making at individual levels, where the exercise of clinical prudence acquires particular relevance.

scholarly journals The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Decision-Making Processes

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Romero-Rivas ◽  
Sara Rodriguez-Cuadrado
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Dictator Game ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
Boosted Regression Trees ◽  
Automatic Processes ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Abstract A sample of 641 participants were presented with four decision-making tasks during the first stages of the COVID–19 lockdown in Spain: The dictator game, framing problems, utilitarian/deontological and altruistic/egoistic moral dilemmas. Participants also completed questionnaires on mental health status and experiences related to the COVID–19 pandemic. We used boosted regression trees (an advanced form of regression analysis based on machine learning) to model relationships between responses to the questionnaires and decision-making tasks. Results showed that the psychological impact of the COVID–19 pandemic predicted participants’ responses to the framing problems and utilitarian/deontological and altruistic/egoistic moral dilemmas (but not to the dictator game). More concretely, the more psychological impact participants suffered, the more they were willing to choose the safest response in the framing problems, and the more deontological/altruistic were their responses to moral dilemmas. These results suggest that the psychological impact of the COVID–19 pandemic might prompt automatic processes.

Paradoxical Effects of Power on Moral Thinking: Why Power Both Increases and Decreases Deontological and Utilitarian Moral Decisions

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Fleischmann ◽  
Joris Lammers ◽  
Paul Conway ◽  
Adam D. Galinsky
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Moral Dilemma ◽  
Thinking Styles ◽  
Moral Decision ◽  
Moral Decision Making ◽  
Moral Orientation ◽  
Moral Thinking ◽  
Moral Decisions ◽  
Systematic Effects ◽  
Orientation Scale

The current research explores the role of power in moral decision-making. Some work suggests that power increases utilitarianism; other work suggests power increases deontological judgments. Conversely, we propose that power can both increase and decrease both deontological and utilitarian decisions by building on two recent insights in moral psychology. First, we utilize the moral orientation scale to assess four thinking styles that jointly predict moral dilemma decisions. Second, we employ process dissociation to assess deontological and utilitarian judgments as orthogonal rather than opposite constructs. We conducted two preregistered confirmatory studies that replicated exploratory findings. In Study 1, power increased three moral thinking styles: integration, deliberation, and rule orientation. In Study 2, these decision-making styles simultaneously mediated the effects of power on utilitarian and deontological responses in opposing ways, leading to null effects overall. These results reconcile previous findings and demonstrate the complex yet systematic effects power has on moral decision-making.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document