scholarly journals Moral by default? The dynamic tradeoffs between honesty and self-interest

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Wu ◽  
Siqi Cao ◽  
Changlin Bai ◽  
Kun Chen ◽  
dean mobbs
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Model ◽  
Forced Choice ◽  
Truth Telling ◽  
Alternative Response ◽  
Movement Trajectories ◽  
Conflict Situations ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Conflict Condition ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Study Participants

Humans are often faced with social dilemmas that pit self-interest against honesty, yet questions arise about whether this trade-off reflects spontaneous default response or active suppression of the alternative response. Here, we created two message-sending tasks where decisions involved honesty as truth-telling or dishonesty as untruthful-message-sending. In our pre-registered study, participants joined the message task as the sender, who can send truthful or untruthful messages to earn more money for themselves, thus manipulating the conflict between self-interest and honesty. In experiment 1, we used mouse tracking (MT) to gain insight from movement trajectories and reaction time (RTs) of a forced-choice task with one fair default option. We found that being honest under conflict situations took longer for individuals who had higher self-interest concerns. In experiment 2 with a two-alternative forced-choice design without a default fair option on another sample to test whether self-interest-seeking people would show a similar tendency to lie and how these behavioral patterns correlated with utility and drift-diffusion model (DDM) modeling parameters. We found lower RTs for untruthful responses when self-interest concern was higher. In both experiments, the mixed model of RTs indicated the interest-temptation (i.e., conflict) condition led to a longer RT for truth-telling. These results were also supported by a DDM showing a larger drift rate for untruthful, compared to truthful, responses in conflict trials. Overall, our findings further support the individual difference in moral default, which can be manifested in behavioral indices in decisions.

Effects of Threat of Shock on Conflict Resolution and Conflict Generalization

1967 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Schill ◽  
Myron Boor
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Conflict Situation ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Conflict Situations ◽  
Conflict Condition ◽  
Competing Response ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Threat Of Shock

Ss were exposed to a three-stage experimental conflict paradigm consisting of pretraining (weak conflict), conflict training (either strong conflict, strong conflict plus threat of shock for wrong responses, weak conflict, or weak conflict plus threat of shock for wrong responses), and post-conflict performance (weak conflict). The results indicated: (1) performance in a weak conflict situation was markedly affected by previous conflict exposure, (2) threat of shock associated with weak and strong conflict situations increased indecisiveness particularly in the weak conflict condition, and (3) the threat of shock groups and the strong conflict non-threat group were significantly more indecisive during the post-conflict than the weak conflict group, but the former three groups did not differ significantly from one another. These results were discussed as being more consistent with a competing-response than a dynamogenic formulation regarding the effects on the individual of exposure to conflict.

scholarly journals $$\ell _2$$-penalized approximate likelihood inference in logit mixed models for regional prevalence estimation under covariate rank-deficiency

Metrika ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joscha Krause ◽  
Jan Pablo Burgard ◽  
Domingo Morales
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Model ◽  
Mean Squared Error ◽  
Routine Data ◽  
Parametric Bootstrap ◽  
Monte Carlo Simulation Study ◽  
Rank Deficiency ◽  
Prevalence Estimation ◽  
Fitting Algorithm ◽  
Individual Contributions ◽  
The Individual

AbstractRegional prevalence estimation requires the use of suitable statistical methods on epidemiologic data with substantial local detail. Small area estimation with medical treatment records as covariates marks a promising combination for this purpose. However, medical routine data often has strong internal correlation due to diagnosis-related grouping in the records. Depending on the strength of the correlation, the space spanned by the covariates can become rank-deficient. In this case, prevalence estimates suffer from unacceptable uncertainty as the individual contributions of the covariates to the model cannot be identified properly. We propose an area-level logit mixed model for regional prevalence estimation with a new fitting algorithm to solve this problem. We extend the Laplace approximation to the log-likelihood by an $$\ell _2$$ ℓ 2 -penalty in order to stabilize the estimation process in the presence of covariate rank-deficiency. Empirical best predictors under the model and a parametric bootstrap for mean squared error estimation are presented. A Monte Carlo simulation study is conducted to evaluate the properties of our methodology in a controlled environment. We further provide an empirical application where the district-level prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Germany is estimated using health insurance records.

scholarly journals Cohort Profile: The China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xing Zhao ◽  
Feng Hong ◽  
Jianzhong Yin ◽  
Wenge Tang ◽  
Gang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Laboratory ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Study Participants

AbstractCohort purposeThe China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) is a community population-based prospective observational study aiming to address the urgent need for understanding NCD prevalence, risk factors and associated conditions in resource-constrained settings for ethnic minorities in China.Cohort BasicsA total of 99 556 participants aged 30 to 79 years (Tibetan populations include those aged 18 to 30 years) from the Tibetan, Yi, Miao, Bai, Bouyei, and Dong ethnic groups in Southwest China were recruited between May 2018 and September 2019.Follow-up and attritionAll surviving study participants will be invited for re-interviews every 3-5 years with concise questionnaires to review risk exposures and disease incidence. Furthermore, the vital status of study participants will be followed up through linkage with established electronic disease registries annually.Design and MeasuresThe CMEC baseline survey collected data with an electronic questionnaire and face-to-face interviews, medical examinations and clinical laboratory tests. Furthermore, we collected biological specimens, including blood, saliva and stool, for long-term storage. In addition to the individual level data, we also collected regional level data for each investigation site.Collaboration and data accessCollaborations are welcome. Please send specific ideas to corresponding author at: [email protected].

scholarly journals The Common Good in an Age of Moral Hyperpluralism: A Catholic Bioethical Perspective

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 345
Author(s):  
John Kleinsman
Keyword(s):  
Common Good ◽  
Individual Autonomy ◽  
Moral Good ◽  
The Common Good ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
The Gift ◽  
Innovative Work ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Contemporary Account

This article will argue that the notion of the common good is imperilled by a particular contemporary account of the moral good; one which, because of its (somewhat narrow) emphasis on the individual, readily lends itself to a state of 'moral hyperpluralism' in which 'the good' is primarily defined in terms of the promotion and protection of self-interest. At the same time, it will be argued that any quest to recover the notion of the common good cannot be achieved by either returning to, or holding onto, a more traditional account of morality. It will also be proposed that, as part of the quest to recover the common good, close attention needs to be paid to how the term is understood. The tension between individual autonomy and the welfare of society, and the differing ways in which this tension is resolved within different moral paradigms, will emerge as central to any discussion about the ongoing place of the common good in contemporary legal and moral debates. Finally, it is suggested that a solid basis for articulating a robust account of the common good may be found in the foundational and innovative work being done by thinkers of the gift to establish an alternative account of morality. 

scholarly journals Experiences of People with Epilepsy during Art Therapy

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vytautas Tautkevičius ◽  
Audronė Brazauskaitė
Keyword(s):  
Art Therapy ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Brain Disorder ◽  
Psychosocial Risks ◽  
Verbal Data ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Chaotic Nature ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Study Participants

Research background. Epilepsy is not only a central nervous system or brain disorder. It is a biological, psychological and social condition (Scambler, 2010). Children with epilepsy have a higher risk of having psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety and attention defcit disorders. The application of art therapy for people with epilepsy helps to express and understand feelings more effectively (Shore, 2014). Unfortunately, there is a lack of research that analyses the experience of epilepsy patients in art therapy. The aim of this article is to reveal and describe experiences of epileptic people during art therapy. Research questions: What experiences of epilepsy patients predominate in the collected thematic analysis data? What formal elements of drawing reflect the participants’ experiences? How does thematic analysis data relate to the data of formal elements analysis of drawings? Methods. Qualitative study in which the participants of the study were subjected to group art therapy. The data was analysed by the thematic method and the analysis of formal elements of the drawings. Results. The analysis of the verbal data revealed the individual themes of the study participants’ experiences. After drawing analysis formal elements were found that expressed the participants’ experiences. Conclusions. 1. Experiences dominating in thematic analysis are loneliness and confnement during difcult moments, as well as constant tension and internal confusion. 2. The experiences of research participants are reflected in these repeated formal elements of drawing: the use of confnes and framing, the use of black and red collars, fgurative and abstract depictions, the chaotic nature of the composition, the lack of concreteness in shapes, expressiveness, and incompleteness. 3. The thematic and formal drawing element analyses complement each other. Drawings that convey the illness-related experiences include confnes, framing, and black colour in the main elements of the composition. Drawing that reflects unpleasant feelings and experiences uses abstract depiction, chaotic compositions, the lack of concreteness in shapes, expressiveness and incompleteness.Keywords: epilepsy, art therapy, psychosocial risks.

Consumer Online Behavior, Data Sharing, and Ethics

2020 ◽  
pp. 409-424
Author(s):  
Virginia M. Miori ◽  
Richard T. Herschel
Keyword(s):  
Social Engagement ◽  
Moral Values ◽  
Clear Pattern ◽  
Online Behavior ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Time Saving ◽  
Online Activity ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Study Participants

This chapter reports the results of a survey that examines how a sampling of millennials describes their online activity, their social engagement, and their priorities when they are asked to value their online activity. It also explores whether there are tenets of a specific ethical perspective that shape their thinking about what is moral behavior online. Results indicate that the online behavior of the study participants involves extensive use of social media with a variety of platforms employed. Degree of engagement is not dependent on whether the individual is introvert or extrovert. Their online priority focuses first on a concern for their privacy, followed by their appreciation for time saving technology and opportunities for money savings and promotions. No single ethical theory dominates their expressed moral values, though there is a clear pattern that is consistent with consequentialism.

Love Elegy, Propertius, and Soliloquy

2021 ◽  
pp. 199-245
Author(s):  
Aaron J. Kachuck
Keyword(s):  
Renaissance Literature ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Truth Telling ◽  
Love Elegy ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter argues that soliloquy as problem and opportunity was central to the aims of Latin love elegy, especially to Propertius’ Elegies. Drawing comparisons with the Lydia, Dirae, Tibullus’ elegies, Virgil’s tenth Eclogue, and Propertius’ elegiac predecessors, it studies Propertius’ corpus to demonstrate the relationship between the poet’s insanity and his solitude. It shows how seasonal indications inscribe this solitude in time and space, and how Propertius worked to rewrite love as a secret fiction. Propertius’ elegies, it argues, use solitude to shape the harmonization of elegiac subjectivity and the poets’ other political personae, culminating in the last of his elegies (4.11), which encapsulates the relegation of truth telling, love, and poetry to the solitary sphere, thus embodying new coordinations of public, the private, and the individual. In conclusion, it points to the impact of Propertius’ solitude on Renaissance literature, including the Hypnerotomachia Polyphili and Ben Jonson’s Poetaster.

scholarly journals A Forced-Choice Procedure to Assess the Acute Relative Reinforcing Effects of Nicotine Dose per se in Humans

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1685-1693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth A Perkins ◽  
Joshua L Karelitz
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Fixed Number ◽  
Forced Choice ◽  
Choice Procedure ◽  
Novel Drugs ◽  
Reinforcing Value ◽  
Forced Choice Procedure ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Reinforcing Effects ◽  
Study Participants

Abstract Introduction A method to assess acute reinforcement due to nicotine may aid identification of doses needed to maintain dependence. After describing development of a forced-choice procedure, results are presented from two studies using it to determine the relative reinforcing effects of nicotine dose per se. Aims and Methods Choice between a higher versus a very low or no nicotine option, via smoking (Study 1, n = 59) and via nasal spray (Study 2, n = 42), was assessed in nontreatment-seeking dependent smokers abstinent overnight. Using a within-subject design, different nicotine levels for each product were administered under blind conditions, initially to assess their discriminability (Study 1: 1.3–17 mg/g each vs. 0.4 mg/g nicotine Spectrum cigarettes; Study 2: 2.5 µg/kg vs. 0 µg/kg nicotine per spray). At the end of sessions for each study, participants engaged in forced-choice trials to assess preference, requiring a fixed number of puffs/sprays for one and/or the other. Results Confirming the procedure’s validity, the choice of the higher nicotine option was significantly greater than that for the very low or no nicotine option in both studies. In Study 1, choice relative to 0.4 mg/g was greater for cigarettes 5.3 mg/g or more but not 2.3 mg/g or less (p = .003 for the interaction of higher content vs. 0.4 mg/g comparison). In Study 2, choice was greater for the nicotine versus placebo spray (p < .005), as nicotine was preferred nearly twice as much as the placebo. Conclusion This forced-choice procedure may efficiently determine the relative reinforcing value of a nicotine dose per se. Implications The forced-choice procedure described here may identify nicotine doses that are acutely reinforcing in dependent smokers. A priori research of choice comparisons between small versus zero nicotine doses could inform clinical research in larger and more diverse samples to determine nicotine contents in cigarettes, and perhaps in other commercial products, that are not reinforcing and, thus, likely to reduce the risk of their addictiveness. This procedure may also be applicable to assessing changes in acute nicotine reinforcement due to different product formulations, novel drugs, or other manipulations, perhaps helping inform development of new interventions for cessation or harm reduction.

scholarly journals The Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score: fluctuations and prognostic ability in a longitudinal cohort of patients with MS

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 205521731983725 ◽  
Author(s):  
RH Gross ◽  
SH Sillau ◽  
AE Miller ◽  
C Farrell ◽  
SC Krieger
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Severity Score ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Longitudinal Cohort ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Survival Plot ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Background The Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS), combining the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and disease duration, attempts to stratify multiple sclerosis (MS) patients based on their rate of progression. Its prognostic ability in the individual patient remains unproven. Objectives To assess the stability of MSSS within individual persons with MS in a longitudinal cohort, to evaluate whether certain factors influence MSSS variability, and to explore the ability of MSSS to predict future ambulatory function. Methods A single-center retrospective review was performed of patients following a single provider for at least 8 years. Mixed model regression modeled MSSS over time. A Kaplan–Meier survival plot was fitted, using change of baseline MSSS by at least one decile as the event. Cox modeling assessed the influence of baseline clinical and demographic factors on the hazard of changing MSSS by at least one decile. Linear models evaluated the impact of baseline EDSS, baseline MSSS, and other factors on the Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW). Results Out of 122 patients, 68 (55.7%) deviated from baseline MSSS by at least one decile. Final T25FW had slightly weaker correlation to baseline MSSS than to baseline EDSS, which was moderately strongly correlated with future log T25FW. Conclusion Individual MSSS scores often vary over time. Clinicians should exercise caution when using MSSS to prognosticate.

Domestic Violence Against Partners According to Wife-Beaters: Construction of Lifestyle and Life Meaning

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (10) ◽  
pp. 1125-1150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efrat Vignansky ◽  
Uri Timor
Keyword(s):  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Life Stories ◽  
Subjective Feeling ◽  
Life Meaning ◽  
Sense Of Security ◽  
Psychology Theory ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Security Value ◽  
Study Participants

This qualitative study examines the life stories of men who committed violent crimes against their intimate partners, for which they have served prison sentences. For the study, nine men in a rehabilitation hostel in Israel were interviewed. The study aim was to understand the psychological process that had brought the participants to behave violently towards their partners. Narrative analysis of the life stories resulted in two main themes. The first, childhood, was related to how the interviewee during his childhood perceived his personal identity and his parents. The second theme represented the adult interviewee’s worldview of violence in general and of intimate partner violence in particular. The findings revealed a subjective feeling of inferiority and lack of worth and volition during childhood, a feeling of chaos, and the absence of existential meaning. To avoid these feelings in adulthood, the participants chose a lifestyle that included the use of force and violence, which provided them with a sense of control and meaning. Discussion of the findings is based on the individual psychology theory of Adler and his followers, as well as on the existentialist orientation. According to these approaches, the study participants, who lacked a sense of positive “existential being,” developed a negative lifestyle that enabled them to feel a sense of security, value, and meaning.

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