Values that Matter: A New Method to Design and Assess Moral Mediation of Technology

In this article, we aim to strengthen the basis of designing for values, by relating it to philosophy of technology. We start by discussing several theories to understand technology-induced value mediation: mediation approach, technology assessment methods, and types of value change. We continue by connecting these theories to design practice by proposing a new design for values methodology: Values that Matter. This methodology provides the means to evaluate moral mediation of technology during the design process and to responsibly design for it. The methodology is explained by the redesign of continuous vital sign monitoring technology in hospitalized patients.

An Interpretation of Value Change: A Philosophical Disquisition of Climate Change and Energy Transition Debate

Changing values may give rise to intergenerational conflicts, like in the ongoing climate change and energy transition debate. This essay focuses on the interpretative question of how this value change can best be understood. To elucidate the interpretation of value change, two philosophical perspectives on value are introduced: Berlin’s value pluralism and Dworkin’s interpretivism. While both authors do not explicitly discuss value change, I argue that their perspectives can be used for interpreting value change in the case of climate change and the energy transition. I claim that Berlin’s pluralistic account of value would understand the value change as an intergenerational conflict and therefore provide a too narrow and static ground for understanding ongoing value change. Instead, by exploring Dworkin’s standpoint in moral epistemology, this essay distills a more encompassing perspective on how values may relate, converge, overlap, and change, fulfilling their functions in the course of climate change and energy transition. This perspective is further detailed by taking inspiration from Shue’s work on the (re)interpretation of equity in the climate change debate. I argue that the resulting perspective allows us to see value change as a gradual process rather than as a clash between generations and their values.

Values Evolution in Transitional China: An Institutional Perspective

The values are greatly affected by the social and economic environment of a country. Thus, social transformation can lead to the values evolution. China has been experiencing a huge social, political, and economic transition in the past four decades. The previous studies that explore the value changes in China mainly compare the values across the regions or generation cohorts. This research investigates the issue from an institutional perspective. Specifically, we propose that the diversification of ownership types—the essence of the economic and institutional reform since 1978 may result in value change. By surveying 327 participants from the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and 220 respondents from the privately owned enterprises (POEs), the comparisons between SOEs and POEs on four value dimensions—individualism, power distance, risk aversion, and money orientation—were performed. The results basically support cross-vergence theory in the values evolution. The implications and limitations are presented as well.

Values and their relationship to pro-environmental engagement: A comprehensive and systematic investigation

<p>Environmental problems are a result of maladaptive human behaviour. One way to tackle these problems is by fostering values that underlie pro-environmental engagement. Research has shown that self-transcendence values (e.g., social justice, equality, and world at peace) are positively correlated to environmental attitudes and behaviours. The present research aims to advance past research by systematically assessing the role of values in motivating individuals’ pro-environmental engagement. Three empirical studies were conducted. Study 1 used a meta-analytical approach to provide a quantitative summary of research on the link between values and environmental outcomes. The final dataset included 47,660 participants from 41 countries and 90 independent samples. Results showed that the self-transcendence versus self-enhancement values dimension is the most often considered in the literature and, as expected, self-transcendence values are the best predictors of environmental outcomes. The analysis also showed that methodological aspects, such as the type of values measured, affected the association between values and environmental outcomes. Study 2 comprised two experiments using the value self-confrontation technique to promote value change and influence individuals’ environmental behavioural intentions. Experiment 1 was conducted with 189 university students (M = 20.00, SD = 3.43). Results from Experiment 1 showed that values were susceptible to change and that value change predicted environmental behavioural intentions. Experiment 2 was conducted with a sample of 115 participants from the general population (M = 35.00, SD = 4.61) and partially replicated the findings of Experiment 1. Importantly, Experiment 2 found that value change was dependent on how strongly individuals felt connected to the reference group. Study 3 tested the moderation effect of moral identity, self-efficacy, self-control and consideration of future consequences in the link between values and environmental behavioural intentions. A total of 221 participants (M = 21.68; SD = 5.92) took part in an online survey. Results indicated that only moral identity moderated the relationship between values and environmental behavioural intentions. It was found that moral identity enhanced the positive influence of self-transcendence values on environmental behavioural intentions. Findings are discussed considering the key role of self-transcendence values in fostering environmental behavioural intentions and the importance of identity in the values-environmental behavioural intentions link. Practical implications of the findings are also discussed. Note: This thesis was a finalist for the Outstanding Postgraduate Research Award.</p>

Values and their relationship to pro-environmental engagement: A comprehensive and systematic investigation

<p>Environmental problems are a result of maladaptive human behaviour. One way to tackle these problems is by fostering values that underlie pro-environmental engagement. Research has shown that self-transcendence values (e.g., social justice, equality, and world at peace) are positively correlated to environmental attitudes and behaviours. The present research aims to advance past research by systematically assessing the role of values in motivating individuals’ pro-environmental engagement. Three empirical studies were conducted. Study 1 used a meta-analytical approach to provide a quantitative summary of research on the link between values and environmental outcomes. The final dataset included 47,660 participants from 41 countries and 90 independent samples. Results showed that the self-transcendence versus self-enhancement values dimension is the most often considered in the literature and, as expected, self-transcendence values are the best predictors of environmental outcomes. The analysis also showed that methodological aspects, such as the type of values measured, affected the association between values and environmental outcomes. Study 2 comprised two experiments using the value self-confrontation technique to promote value change and influence individuals’ environmental behavioural intentions. Experiment 1 was conducted with 189 university students (M = 20.00, SD = 3.43). Results from Experiment 1 showed that values were susceptible to change and that value change predicted environmental behavioural intentions. Experiment 2 was conducted with a sample of 115 participants from the general population (M = 35.00, SD = 4.61) and partially replicated the findings of Experiment 1. Importantly, Experiment 2 found that value change was dependent on how strongly individuals felt connected to the reference group. Study 3 tested the moderation effect of moral identity, self-efficacy, self-control and consideration of future consequences in the link between values and environmental behavioural intentions. A total of 221 participants (M = 21.68; SD = 5.92) took part in an online survey. Results indicated that only moral identity moderated the relationship between values and environmental behavioural intentions. It was found that moral identity enhanced the positive influence of self-transcendence values on environmental behavioural intentions. Findings are discussed considering the key role of self-transcendence values in fostering environmental behavioural intentions and the importance of identity in the values-environmental behavioural intentions link. Practical implications of the findings are also discussed. Note: This thesis was a finalist for the Outstanding Postgraduate Research Award.</p>

Tracing Long-term Value Change in (Energy) Technologies: Opportunities of Probabilistic Topic Models Using Large Data Sets

We propose a new approach for tracing value change. Value change may lead to a mismatch between current value priorities in society and the values for which technologies were designed in the past, such as energy technologies based on fossil fuels, which were developed when sustainability was not considered a very important value. Better anticipating value change is essential to avoid a lack of social acceptance and moral acceptability of technologies. While value change can be studied historically and qualitatively, we propose a more quantitative approach that uses large text corpora. It uses probabilistic topic models, which allow us to trace (new) values that are (still) latent. We demonstrate the approach for five types of value change in technology. Our approach is useful for testing hypotheses about value change, such as verifying whether value change has occurred and identifying patterns of value change. The approach can be used to trace value change for various technologies and text corpora, including scientific articles, newspaper articles, and policy documents.

L-Asparaginase-Based Biosensors

L-asparaginase (ASNase) is an aminohydrolase enzyme widely used in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Although currently its main applications are focused on the treatment of lymphoproliferative disorders such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acrylamide reduction in starch-rich foods cooked at temperatures above 100 °C, its use as a biosensor in the detection and monitoring of L-asparagine levels is of high relevance. ASNase-based biosensors are a promising and innovative technology, mostly based on colorimetric detection since the mechanism of action of ASNase is the catalysis of the L-asparagine hydrolysis, which releases L-aspartic acid and ammonium ions, promoting a medium pH value change followed by color variation. ASNase biosensing systems prove their potential for L-asparagine monitoring in ALL patients, along with L-asparagine concentration analysis in foods, due to their simplicity and fast response.