Effective science communication is challenging when scientific messages are informed by a continu... more Effective science communication is challenging when scientific messages are informed by a continually updating evidence base and must often compete against misinformation. We argue for the need for a new programme of science communication as collective intelligence—a collaborative approach, supported by technology. This would have four key advantages over the typical model where scientists communicate as individuals: scientific messages would be informed by (1) a wider base of aggregated knowledge, (2) contributions from a diverse scientific community, (3) participatory input from stakeholders, and (4) better responsiveness to ongoing changes in the state of knowledge.
The article presents author's comments on the U.S. Department of Justice that established the... more The article presents author's comments on the U.S. Department of Justice that established the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS), exploring the issues related to rape and murder. It states that the National Institute of Standards and Technology, has worked diligently to identify problems and propose changes to improve forensic science.
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2019
Across a series of studies, with monetary stakes creating conflicts of interest, I show that disc... more Across a series of studies, with monetary stakes creating conflicts of interest, I show that disclosure of the conflict of interest can increase as well as decrease bias in advice. The effect of disclosure depends on whether the perceived norms of the context in which the advice is provided are "clients first" or "self-interests first." Disclosure increases the salience of these norms, which in turn, affects the level of bias in advice. As people draw on multiple sources of information to perceive norms, norms will vary by context and for expert versus nonexpert advisors. For non-experts (research participants asked to play the role of advisors), disclosure tends to increase bias in settings in which self-interested advice is deemed to be the norm (e.g., giving financial advice) and decrease bias in settings in which placing advisees first is deemed to be the norm (e.g., giving medical advice). However, for experts (professional financial and medical advisors), whose norms often emphasize placing advisees' interests first, disclosure (typically) decreases bias in advice. When considering the benefits and pitfalls of disclosure, professional norms toward clients or self-interests appear to play an important role.
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2019
Most patients in the United States depend on physicians who have financial relationships with the... more Most patients in the United States depend on physicians who have financial relationships with the healthcare industry. These physician-industry relationships represent a conflict of interest: a potential clash between the physicians' professional responsibilities and their self-interest. We conducted a randomized field experiment to assess the impact of written disclosures of physicians' conflict of interest on patients' appointment attendance, knowledge of these conflicts of interest, and their trust in their physician and hospital. Patients (N = 1903) attending outpatient clinics at a large U.S. academic hospital from 2015 to 2016 who had appointments with physicians earning more than $20,000 from industry in the last year were randomized to receive (or not receive) disclosures of their physicians' financial conflicts of interest (with or without explanation of the risks and/or benefits of such conflicts) in their appointment-reminder letters. There were no differences across condition in missed or cancelled appointments. For patients who attended eligible appointments with their physician and completed the post-appointment survey (N = 867/1276; 68% response rate), the disclosure intervention revealed significant improvement in patients' knowledge of their physicians' financial relationships but no significant differences in patients' trust in their physician or hospital. Risk and benefit framings of financial relationships did not significantly affect any outcomes. These findings highlight that although mailed financial conflict of interest disclosures are effective as an educational tool, disclosure cannot be a panacea to addressing physician-industry relationships if the intended purpose is for patients to assimilate the information into their decision-making and account for potential physician bias.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018
Forensic science is critical to the administration of justice. The discipline of forensic science... more Forensic science is critical to the administration of justice. The discipline of forensic science is remarkably complex and includes methodologies ranging from DNA analysis to chemical composition to pattern recognition. Many forensic practices developed under the auspices of law enforcement and were vetted primarily by the legal system rather than being subjected to scientific scrutiny and empirical testing. Beginning in the 1990s, exonerations based on DNA-related methods revealed problems with some forensic disciplines, leading to calls for major reforms. This process generated a National Academy of Science report in 2009 that was highly critical of many forensic practices and eventually led to the establishment of the National Commission for Forensic Science (NCFS) in 2013. The NCFS was a deliberative body that catalyzed communication between nonforensic scientists, forensic scientists, and other stakeholders in the legal community. In 2017, despite continuing problems with fore...
This article draws on the behavioral science literature to offer empirically driven policy prescr... more This article draws on the behavioral science literature to offer empirically driven policy prescriptions that can reduce the effect of bias and ameliorate unequal treatment in policing, the criminal justice system, employment, and national security.
In an effort to regulate physician conflicts of interest, some US academic medical centers (AMCs)... more In an effort to regulate physician conflicts of interest, some US academic medical centers (AMCs) enacted policies restricting pharmaceutical representative sales visits to physicians (known as detailing) between 2006 and 2012. Little is known about the effect of these policies on physician prescribing. To analyze the association between detailing policies enacted at AMCs and physician prescribing of actively detailed and not detailed drugs. The study used a difference-in-differences multivariable regression analysis to compare changes in prescribing by physicians before and after implementation of detailing policies at AMCs in 5 states (California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New York) that made up the intervention group with changes in prescribing by a matched control group of similar physicians not subject to a detailing policy. Academic medical center implementation of policies regulating pharmaceutical salesperson visits to attending physicians. The monthly withi...
If financial advisers disclose the fact that they get a bonus if their clients invest in a partic... more If financial advisers disclose the fact that they get a bonus if their clients invest in a particular product, how will clients use that information, and to what extent will the disclosure help them make a better decision? If at all, how might the disclosure alter the advice given by advisers, or how might it affect the relationship between advisers and their clients? In this chapter, we address these questions. Reviewing extensive evidence that casts doubt on the efficacy of disclosure, we conclude that disclosure is not a panacea; it often fails to serve its intended functions and may sometimes backfire, hurting the interests of those it was intended to protect. Conflicts of interest, in which professionals have personal interests that conflict with their professional responsibilities, have been at the heart of many recent business fiascos. For example, the bubble in the American real estate market that burst in 2008 was partly supported by inflated ratings of collateralized mortgage bonds that were created by rating agencies that had financial ties to the issuers of those bonds. Many recent accounting scandals can be traced to conflicts of interest on the part of auditors, who received large consulting fees from the same firms they audited. Likewise, many health care professionals worry that similar problems have been created in medicine because of industry payments to physicians and fee-for-service compensation arrangements.
Context Despite expanding research on the prevalence and consequences of conflicts of interest in... more Context Despite expanding research on the prevalence and consequences of conflicts of interest in medicine, little attention has been given to the psychological processes that enable physicians to rationalize the acceptance of gifts. Objective To determine whether reminding resident physicians of the sacrifices made to obtain training, as well as suggesting this as a potential rationalization, increases self-stated willingness to accept gifts from industry. Design, Setting, and Participants Three hundred one US resident physicians from 2 sample populations (pediatrics and family medicine) who were recruited during March-July 2009 participated in a survey presented as evaluating quality of life and values. Intervention Physicians were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 different online surveys. The sacrifice reminders survey (n=120) asked questions about sacrifices made in medical training, followed by questions regarding the acceptability of receiving gifts from industry. The suggested rationalization survey (n=121) presented the same sacrifice questions, followed by a suggested possible rationalization (based on sacrifices made in medical training) for acceptance of gifts, before the questions regarding the acceptability of gifts. The control survey (n=60) asked about the acceptability of gifts before asking questions about sacrifices or suggesting a rationalization. Main Outcome Measures Physician self-stated acceptability of receiving gifts from industry. Results Reminding physicians of sacrifices made in obtaining their education resulted in gifts being evaluated as more acceptable: 21.7% (13/60) in the control group vs 47.5% (57/120) in the sacrifice reminders group (odds ratio, 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-2.58; P=.001). Although most residents disagreed with the suggested rationalization, exposure to it further increased the perceived acceptability of gifts to 60.3% (73/121) in that group (odds ratio relative to sacrifice reminders group, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-1.72; PϽ.001). Conclusions Providing resident physicians with reminders of sacrifices increased the perceived acceptability of industry-sponsored gifts. Including a rationalization statement further increased gift acceptability.
Why vaccinations? Vaccines help people survive. Vaccines save 5 lives every minute. The eradicati... more Why vaccinations? Vaccines help people survive. Vaccines save 5 lives every minute. The eradication of smallpox-a serious disease that left even survivors scarred for life-alone saves an estimated 5 million lives every year. If a vaccine had not eradicated smallpox, someone would now die from the disease every 6 seconds of every day. Prior to the introduction of a vaccine, as recently as 1980, measles caused more than 2.6 million deaths globally. SUCCESS OF VACCINES Vaccines can only save lives if people are vaccinated. Fortunately, most people get vaccinated. For example, 85% of children worldwide are vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough), and in 125 countries that figure exceeds 90%. Why COVID-19 vaccinations? COVID-19 is a serious disease. In only 10 months the SARS-CoV-2 virus infected over 78 million people across the world, killing 1.7 million 1. COVID-19 patients require intensive care in hospital at a rate more than 6 times greater than during the influenza pandemic in 2009 2. Many survivors are faced with sometimes severe long-term health impacts 3,4. COVID-19 is not like the flu. It is more contagious, more deadly, and is spreading across a world where no-one was immune. 2 FACTS ABOUT COVID-19 While behavioral measures such as isolating while symptomatic, mask-wearing and physical distancing have slowed the spread of the virus, vaccines provide a better path out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and scientists have now developed several highly effective vaccines against COVID-19. BEHAVIORS TO CONTROL COVID-19 DETERMINANTS OF COVID-19 VACCINE UPTAKE What variables increase hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccines? Research has also considered the flipside, by examining the factors that may lead to hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine. • Some people oppose the vaccine for ideological reasons because COVID-19 and the response to it have become politicized in some countries. When this occurs, opposition is generally greater on the political right and among populists 15,16. POLITICS OF COVID-19 VACCINATION • About a third of people who are not intending to be vaccinated against COVID-19 are committed vaccination opponents 16 and often believe in conspiracy theories. VACCINE DENIERS CONSPIRACY THEORIES • Some people understand the need for a COVID-19 vaccine but have safety concerns. FACTS ABOUT COVID-19 VACCINES COVID-19 VACCINE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS • People of color, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, homeless or low-income people, people with disabilities and other marginalized populations traditionally face obstacles and inequalities in healthcare and this situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. They may also have collective histories of experience with medical malpractice that affect current trust.
Professionalism is often viewed, in the management literature and in practice, as a desirable sou... more Professionalism is often viewed, in the management literature and in practice, as a desirable sought-after trait in employees and managers. This belief, however, does not consider a potential dark side of professionalism. A high self-concept of professionalism often coexists with a shallow notion of the concept and can paradoxically lead to detrimental outcomes, such as greater unethical behavior and increased vulnerability to conflicts of interest. This article describes the circumstances in which this outcome is likely to occur and how workplace policies that rely solely on cultivating intrinsic values at the expense of monitoring and extrinsic controls may fail or have a contrary effect. It recommends integrating both intrinsic and extrinsic approaches together, and redefining professionalism as a deeper concept that includes a set of consistently repeated practices rather than a character trait. We are professionals that follow our code of ethics and practice by the highest moral standards. We would never be influenced by our own personal financial well-being versus our professional ethics.
This handbook is for journalists, doctors, nurses, policy makers, researchers, teachers, students... more This handbook is for journalists, doctors, nurses, policy makers, researchers, teachers, students, parents – in short, it's for everyone who wants to know more: <br>about the COVID-19 vaccines, how to talk to others about them, how to challenge misinformation about the vaccines. <br>This handbook is self-contained but additionally provides access to a "wiki" of more detailed information. <br>
When experts have conflicts of interest, disclosure—informing an advisee of an advisor’s conflict... more When experts have conflicts of interest, disclosure—informing an advisee of an advisor’s conflict—is often advocated. Yet, in four experiments (three conducted in medical contexts, one in a general risk-taking context), we show that disclosure of a (financial or non-financial) conflict of interest can have an adverse effect on the advisor-advisee relationship. Disclosure places advisees in an effective bind in that it decreases an advisee’s trust in the advice while simultaneously increasing the pressure to comply with the advice due to a fear of signaling distrust. We show that this “insinuation anxiety” effect persists whether the disclosure is voluntary or required by law, and whether the disclosed conflict is big or small. However, the anxiety diminishes when the disclosure is made by an external source rather than directly by the
Governments around the world have implemented measures to manage the transmission of coronavirus ... more Governments around the world have implemented measures to manage the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While the majority of these measures are proving effective, they have a high social and economic cost, and response strategies are being adjusted. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that communities should have a voice, be informed and engaged, and participate in this transition phase. We propose ten considerations to support this principle: (1) implement a phased approach to a 'new normal'; (2) balance individual rights with the social good; (3) prioritise people at highest risk of negative consequences; (4) provide special support for healthcare workers and care staff; (5) build, strengthen and maintain trust; (6) enlist existing social norms and foster healthy new norms; (7) increase resilience and self-efficacy; (8) use clear and positive language; (9) anticipate and manage misinformation; and (10) engage with media outlets. The transition phase should also be informed by real-time data according to which governmental responses should be updated. PersPective NaTure HumaN BeHaVIOur influenza pandemic shows that a second wave of infection can follow the removal of SPDM and lockdowns 5,6. Each country's government can apply lessons learnt from experience and analyse the current situation to anticipate potential unwanted scenarios and plan mitigation measures. These scenarios are likely to vary depending on cultural context. However, in general, the following scenarios and situations would be helpful to consider. A continuum of reactions While there is no empirical evidence for a 'continuum' , one may imagine a potential continuum of public responses to the pandemic. On one end may be a potential decline in feelings of fear and threat. Research reported in a non-peer-reviewed preprint found that a lack of perceived risk (for example, due to declining cases or psychological adjustment to the new situation) can cause decreased adherence to measures 7 such as SPDM. Moreover, people's desire to reduce loneliness as soon as possible after a period of prolonged enforced isolation may be strong: research reported in another non-peer-reviewed preprint suggests that the loosening of response measures might seem like standing in front of a rich buffet after a diet or period of fasting 8. Just as we might be tempted to binge eat, our craving to socialise may grow with each day of the pandemic. At the other end of the continuum of reactions, distrust of authorities, conspiracy thinking or reactance (anger due to restrictions) may lead to social movements against SPDM norms and policies and a rise in prosocial closeness and interaction. These reactions may be underpinned by messages that question the appropriateness of government pandemic measures, which can increase distrust among broader segments of the population. This scenario is not dissimilar to events and patterns related to vaccination 9-11. In addition, specific population groups may lack the capability to continue adhering to restrictions and recommendations. These groups may include youth, people with anxiety and other mental health disorders, people who lack social support structures, financially disadvantaged groups, the homeless, indigenous populations, mobile populations, people with chronic illness, people experiencing abuse or domestic violence, people living in long-term care facilities and the persons who care for them, and healthcare workers. People with lower health literacy may face additional difficulties when navigating these challenges 12. Conversely, some people may be overly cautious due to fear and worry 13 and may continue to over-implement restrictions 14 , avoid supportive social interactions and delay seeing health care providers for potentially life-saving measures, such as vaccinations or checkups .
Please refer to published version for the most recent bibliographic citation information. If a pu... more Please refer to published version for the most recent bibliographic citation information. If a published version is known of, the repository item page linked to above, will contain details on accessing it.
Effective science communication is challenging when scientific messages are informed by a continu... more Effective science communication is challenging when scientific messages are informed by a continually updating evidence base and must often compete against misinformation. We argue for the need for a new programme of science communication as collective intelligence—a collaborative approach, supported by technology. This would have four key advantages over the typical model where scientists communicate as individuals: scientific messages would be informed by (1) a wider base of aggregated knowledge, (2) contributions from a diverse scientific community, (3) participatory input from stakeholders, and (4) better responsiveness to ongoing changes in the state of knowledge.
The article presents author's comments on the U.S. Department of Justice that established the... more The article presents author's comments on the U.S. Department of Justice that established the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS), exploring the issues related to rape and murder. It states that the National Institute of Standards and Technology, has worked diligently to identify problems and propose changes to improve forensic science.
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2019
Across a series of studies, with monetary stakes creating conflicts of interest, I show that disc... more Across a series of studies, with monetary stakes creating conflicts of interest, I show that disclosure of the conflict of interest can increase as well as decrease bias in advice. The effect of disclosure depends on whether the perceived norms of the context in which the advice is provided are "clients first" or "self-interests first." Disclosure increases the salience of these norms, which in turn, affects the level of bias in advice. As people draw on multiple sources of information to perceive norms, norms will vary by context and for expert versus nonexpert advisors. For non-experts (research participants asked to play the role of advisors), disclosure tends to increase bias in settings in which self-interested advice is deemed to be the norm (e.g., giving financial advice) and decrease bias in settings in which placing advisees first is deemed to be the norm (e.g., giving medical advice). However, for experts (professional financial and medical advisors), whose norms often emphasize placing advisees' interests first, disclosure (typically) decreases bias in advice. When considering the benefits and pitfalls of disclosure, professional norms toward clients or self-interests appear to play an important role.
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2019
Most patients in the United States depend on physicians who have financial relationships with the... more Most patients in the United States depend on physicians who have financial relationships with the healthcare industry. These physician-industry relationships represent a conflict of interest: a potential clash between the physicians' professional responsibilities and their self-interest. We conducted a randomized field experiment to assess the impact of written disclosures of physicians' conflict of interest on patients' appointment attendance, knowledge of these conflicts of interest, and their trust in their physician and hospital. Patients (N = 1903) attending outpatient clinics at a large U.S. academic hospital from 2015 to 2016 who had appointments with physicians earning more than $20,000 from industry in the last year were randomized to receive (or not receive) disclosures of their physicians' financial conflicts of interest (with or without explanation of the risks and/or benefits of such conflicts) in their appointment-reminder letters. There were no differences across condition in missed or cancelled appointments. For patients who attended eligible appointments with their physician and completed the post-appointment survey (N = 867/1276; 68% response rate), the disclosure intervention revealed significant improvement in patients' knowledge of their physicians' financial relationships but no significant differences in patients' trust in their physician or hospital. Risk and benefit framings of financial relationships did not significantly affect any outcomes. These findings highlight that although mailed financial conflict of interest disclosures are effective as an educational tool, disclosure cannot be a panacea to addressing physician-industry relationships if the intended purpose is for patients to assimilate the information into their decision-making and account for potential physician bias.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2018
Forensic science is critical to the administration of justice. The discipline of forensic science... more Forensic science is critical to the administration of justice. The discipline of forensic science is remarkably complex and includes methodologies ranging from DNA analysis to chemical composition to pattern recognition. Many forensic practices developed under the auspices of law enforcement and were vetted primarily by the legal system rather than being subjected to scientific scrutiny and empirical testing. Beginning in the 1990s, exonerations based on DNA-related methods revealed problems with some forensic disciplines, leading to calls for major reforms. This process generated a National Academy of Science report in 2009 that was highly critical of many forensic practices and eventually led to the establishment of the National Commission for Forensic Science (NCFS) in 2013. The NCFS was a deliberative body that catalyzed communication between nonforensic scientists, forensic scientists, and other stakeholders in the legal community. In 2017, despite continuing problems with fore...
This article draws on the behavioral science literature to offer empirically driven policy prescr... more This article draws on the behavioral science literature to offer empirically driven policy prescriptions that can reduce the effect of bias and ameliorate unequal treatment in policing, the criminal justice system, employment, and national security.
In an effort to regulate physician conflicts of interest, some US academic medical centers (AMCs)... more In an effort to regulate physician conflicts of interest, some US academic medical centers (AMCs) enacted policies restricting pharmaceutical representative sales visits to physicians (known as detailing) between 2006 and 2012. Little is known about the effect of these policies on physician prescribing. To analyze the association between detailing policies enacted at AMCs and physician prescribing of actively detailed and not detailed drugs. The study used a difference-in-differences multivariable regression analysis to compare changes in prescribing by physicians before and after implementation of detailing policies at AMCs in 5 states (California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New York) that made up the intervention group with changes in prescribing by a matched control group of similar physicians not subject to a detailing policy. Academic medical center implementation of policies regulating pharmaceutical salesperson visits to attending physicians. The monthly withi...
If financial advisers disclose the fact that they get a bonus if their clients invest in a partic... more If financial advisers disclose the fact that they get a bonus if their clients invest in a particular product, how will clients use that information, and to what extent will the disclosure help them make a better decision? If at all, how might the disclosure alter the advice given by advisers, or how might it affect the relationship between advisers and their clients? In this chapter, we address these questions. Reviewing extensive evidence that casts doubt on the efficacy of disclosure, we conclude that disclosure is not a panacea; it often fails to serve its intended functions and may sometimes backfire, hurting the interests of those it was intended to protect. Conflicts of interest, in which professionals have personal interests that conflict with their professional responsibilities, have been at the heart of many recent business fiascos. For example, the bubble in the American real estate market that burst in 2008 was partly supported by inflated ratings of collateralized mortgage bonds that were created by rating agencies that had financial ties to the issuers of those bonds. Many recent accounting scandals can be traced to conflicts of interest on the part of auditors, who received large consulting fees from the same firms they audited. Likewise, many health care professionals worry that similar problems have been created in medicine because of industry payments to physicians and fee-for-service compensation arrangements.
Context Despite expanding research on the prevalence and consequences of conflicts of interest in... more Context Despite expanding research on the prevalence and consequences of conflicts of interest in medicine, little attention has been given to the psychological processes that enable physicians to rationalize the acceptance of gifts. Objective To determine whether reminding resident physicians of the sacrifices made to obtain training, as well as suggesting this as a potential rationalization, increases self-stated willingness to accept gifts from industry. Design, Setting, and Participants Three hundred one US resident physicians from 2 sample populations (pediatrics and family medicine) who were recruited during March-July 2009 participated in a survey presented as evaluating quality of life and values. Intervention Physicians were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 different online surveys. The sacrifice reminders survey (n=120) asked questions about sacrifices made in medical training, followed by questions regarding the acceptability of receiving gifts from industry. The suggested rationalization survey (n=121) presented the same sacrifice questions, followed by a suggested possible rationalization (based on sacrifices made in medical training) for acceptance of gifts, before the questions regarding the acceptability of gifts. The control survey (n=60) asked about the acceptability of gifts before asking questions about sacrifices or suggesting a rationalization. Main Outcome Measures Physician self-stated acceptability of receiving gifts from industry. Results Reminding physicians of sacrifices made in obtaining their education resulted in gifts being evaluated as more acceptable: 21.7% (13/60) in the control group vs 47.5% (57/120) in the sacrifice reminders group (odds ratio, 1.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-2.58; P=.001). Although most residents disagreed with the suggested rationalization, exposure to it further increased the perceived acceptability of gifts to 60.3% (73/121) in that group (odds ratio relative to sacrifice reminders group, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-1.72; PϽ.001). Conclusions Providing resident physicians with reminders of sacrifices increased the perceived acceptability of industry-sponsored gifts. Including a rationalization statement further increased gift acceptability.
Why vaccinations? Vaccines help people survive. Vaccines save 5 lives every minute. The eradicati... more Why vaccinations? Vaccines help people survive. Vaccines save 5 lives every minute. The eradication of smallpox-a serious disease that left even survivors scarred for life-alone saves an estimated 5 million lives every year. If a vaccine had not eradicated smallpox, someone would now die from the disease every 6 seconds of every day. Prior to the introduction of a vaccine, as recently as 1980, measles caused more than 2.6 million deaths globally. SUCCESS OF VACCINES Vaccines can only save lives if people are vaccinated. Fortunately, most people get vaccinated. For example, 85% of children worldwide are vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough), and in 125 countries that figure exceeds 90%. Why COVID-19 vaccinations? COVID-19 is a serious disease. In only 10 months the SARS-CoV-2 virus infected over 78 million people across the world, killing 1.7 million 1. COVID-19 patients require intensive care in hospital at a rate more than 6 times greater than during the influenza pandemic in 2009 2. Many survivors are faced with sometimes severe long-term health impacts 3,4. COVID-19 is not like the flu. It is more contagious, more deadly, and is spreading across a world where no-one was immune. 2 FACTS ABOUT COVID-19 While behavioral measures such as isolating while symptomatic, mask-wearing and physical distancing have slowed the spread of the virus, vaccines provide a better path out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and scientists have now developed several highly effective vaccines against COVID-19. BEHAVIORS TO CONTROL COVID-19 DETERMINANTS OF COVID-19 VACCINE UPTAKE What variables increase hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccines? Research has also considered the flipside, by examining the factors that may lead to hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine. • Some people oppose the vaccine for ideological reasons because COVID-19 and the response to it have become politicized in some countries. When this occurs, opposition is generally greater on the political right and among populists 15,16. POLITICS OF COVID-19 VACCINATION • About a third of people who are not intending to be vaccinated against COVID-19 are committed vaccination opponents 16 and often believe in conspiracy theories. VACCINE DENIERS CONSPIRACY THEORIES • Some people understand the need for a COVID-19 vaccine but have safety concerns. FACTS ABOUT COVID-19 VACCINES COVID-19 VACCINE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS • People of color, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, homeless or low-income people, people with disabilities and other marginalized populations traditionally face obstacles and inequalities in healthcare and this situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. They may also have collective histories of experience with medical malpractice that affect current trust.
Professionalism is often viewed, in the management literature and in practice, as a desirable sou... more Professionalism is often viewed, in the management literature and in practice, as a desirable sought-after trait in employees and managers. This belief, however, does not consider a potential dark side of professionalism. A high self-concept of professionalism often coexists with a shallow notion of the concept and can paradoxically lead to detrimental outcomes, such as greater unethical behavior and increased vulnerability to conflicts of interest. This article describes the circumstances in which this outcome is likely to occur and how workplace policies that rely solely on cultivating intrinsic values at the expense of monitoring and extrinsic controls may fail or have a contrary effect. It recommends integrating both intrinsic and extrinsic approaches together, and redefining professionalism as a deeper concept that includes a set of consistently repeated practices rather than a character trait. We are professionals that follow our code of ethics and practice by the highest moral standards. We would never be influenced by our own personal financial well-being versus our professional ethics.
This handbook is for journalists, doctors, nurses, policy makers, researchers, teachers, students... more This handbook is for journalists, doctors, nurses, policy makers, researchers, teachers, students, parents – in short, it's for everyone who wants to know more: <br>about the COVID-19 vaccines, how to talk to others about them, how to challenge misinformation about the vaccines. <br>This handbook is self-contained but additionally provides access to a "wiki" of more detailed information. <br>
When experts have conflicts of interest, disclosure—informing an advisee of an advisor’s conflict... more When experts have conflicts of interest, disclosure—informing an advisee of an advisor’s conflict—is often advocated. Yet, in four experiments (three conducted in medical contexts, one in a general risk-taking context), we show that disclosure of a (financial or non-financial) conflict of interest can have an adverse effect on the advisor-advisee relationship. Disclosure places advisees in an effective bind in that it decreases an advisee’s trust in the advice while simultaneously increasing the pressure to comply with the advice due to a fear of signaling distrust. We show that this “insinuation anxiety” effect persists whether the disclosure is voluntary or required by law, and whether the disclosed conflict is big or small. However, the anxiety diminishes when the disclosure is made by an external source rather than directly by the
Governments around the world have implemented measures to manage the transmission of coronavirus ... more Governments around the world have implemented measures to manage the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While the majority of these measures are proving effective, they have a high social and economic cost, and response strategies are being adjusted. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that communities should have a voice, be informed and engaged, and participate in this transition phase. We propose ten considerations to support this principle: (1) implement a phased approach to a 'new normal'; (2) balance individual rights with the social good; (3) prioritise people at highest risk of negative consequences; (4) provide special support for healthcare workers and care staff; (5) build, strengthen and maintain trust; (6) enlist existing social norms and foster healthy new norms; (7) increase resilience and self-efficacy; (8) use clear and positive language; (9) anticipate and manage misinformation; and (10) engage with media outlets. The transition phase should also be informed by real-time data according to which governmental responses should be updated. PersPective NaTure HumaN BeHaVIOur influenza pandemic shows that a second wave of infection can follow the removal of SPDM and lockdowns 5,6. Each country's government can apply lessons learnt from experience and analyse the current situation to anticipate potential unwanted scenarios and plan mitigation measures. These scenarios are likely to vary depending on cultural context. However, in general, the following scenarios and situations would be helpful to consider. A continuum of reactions While there is no empirical evidence for a 'continuum' , one may imagine a potential continuum of public responses to the pandemic. On one end may be a potential decline in feelings of fear and threat. Research reported in a non-peer-reviewed preprint found that a lack of perceived risk (for example, due to declining cases or psychological adjustment to the new situation) can cause decreased adherence to measures 7 such as SPDM. Moreover, people's desire to reduce loneliness as soon as possible after a period of prolonged enforced isolation may be strong: research reported in another non-peer-reviewed preprint suggests that the loosening of response measures might seem like standing in front of a rich buffet after a diet or period of fasting 8. Just as we might be tempted to binge eat, our craving to socialise may grow with each day of the pandemic. At the other end of the continuum of reactions, distrust of authorities, conspiracy thinking or reactance (anger due to restrictions) may lead to social movements against SPDM norms and policies and a rise in prosocial closeness and interaction. These reactions may be underpinned by messages that question the appropriateness of government pandemic measures, which can increase distrust among broader segments of the population. This scenario is not dissimilar to events and patterns related to vaccination 9-11. In addition, specific population groups may lack the capability to continue adhering to restrictions and recommendations. These groups may include youth, people with anxiety and other mental health disorders, people who lack social support structures, financially disadvantaged groups, the homeless, indigenous populations, mobile populations, people with chronic illness, people experiencing abuse or domestic violence, people living in long-term care facilities and the persons who care for them, and healthcare workers. People with lower health literacy may face additional difficulties when navigating these challenges 12. Conversely, some people may be overly cautious due to fear and worry 13 and may continue to over-implement restrictions 14 , avoid supportive social interactions and delay seeing health care providers for potentially life-saving measures, such as vaccinations or checkups .
Please refer to published version for the most recent bibliographic citation information. If a pu... more Please refer to published version for the most recent bibliographic citation information. If a published version is known of, the repository item page linked to above, will contain details on accessing it.
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