Ethical considerations in the testing of biopharmaceuticals for adventitious agents

Safety testing of biological pharmaceuticals is often carried out by contract testing laboratories which perform these tests on behalf of the drug’s developer. These laboratories are confronted with a number of ethical issues related to selling their services, maintaining confidentiality, and the handling of results. This paper outlines these issues, and, by way of illustration, discusses how one such laboratory addresses them.     

Adolescent suicide prevention: Gender differences in students' perceptions of the acceptability and intrusiveness of school-based screening programs

Suicidal behavior is a significant problem among adolescents in the United States. Three types of school-based suicide prevention programs have been proposed to address this problem including curriculum programs, staff in-service training, and school-wide screening. The relative acceptability of these three programs among older adolescents was examined. The sample included 662 freshmen (496 females, 161 males) enrolled in a large private university. Respondents rated the degree to which they considered adolescent suicide to be a significant problem, and the acceptability, intrusiveness, and time demands of the three suicide prevention programs. A majority (85.9%) of the sample agreed that adolescent suicide was a significant problem. Significant gender differences were observed in relation to the acceptability ratings of the school-based suicide programs. Female participants rated the curriculum-based program and staff in-service training as more acceptable than male participants. In addition, female participants rated the curriculum-based program as significantly less intrusive and less time demanding than male participants. Implications of these findings for implementation of suicide prevention programs and for future research are discussed.     

Situationism and the problem of moral improvement

A wealth of research in social psychology indicates that various ethically arbitrary situational factors exert a surprisingly powerful influence on moral conduct. Empirically-minded philosophers have argued over the last two decades that this evidence challenges Aristotelian virtue ethics. John Doris, Gilbert Harman, and Maria Merritt have argued that situationist moral psychology – as opposed to Aristotelian moral psychology – is better suited to the practical aim of helping agents act better. The Aristotelian account, with its emphasis on individual factors, invites too much risk of morally bad conduct insofar as it ignores the power of situational factors which lead us astray. Moral agents are often better off detecting and intervening on situational factors to help themselves act better. This paper offers an argument against the claim that situationism enjoys practical advantages over Aristotelian virtue ethics. There is empirical evidence suggesting that people can improve their behavior via Aristotelian strategies of deliberate self-improvement. This evidence also suggests that focusing our ethical attention on morally trivial factors may result in worse overall conduct. Accordingly, Aristotelianism may fare better than situationism on the practical issue of moral improvement.     

民族道德的发轫过程及其状态探究

民族道德的产生大致经历了人类道德的真空——前人类社会的道德失范;民族道德的雏型——氏族道德;氏族道德向民族道德过渡的桥梁——部落道德;民族道德的形成——民族道德等几个阶段。在人类民族道德史上,氏族道德是起点,部落道德是中间环节,民族道德是基于氏族道德和部落道德而生发出来的。抑或说,民族道德是踩着氏族道德和部落道德的肩膀而发展起来的。     

Mapping people's positions regarding the acceptability of somatic gene therapy

IntroductionAs gene therapy entails potential drawbacks, studies are needed in order to know people's opinions regarding its use.ObjectivesThe present study examined French people's positions regarding somatic gene therapy.MethodA sample of 224 adults living in various areas in France was presented with 32 realistic scenarios that were created by orthogonally combining the levels of four factors: the type of illness (e.g., hemophilia), the probability of transmission of the pathogenic gene, the technique used (e.g., transfer of a functional gene just after birth), and le probability of success of the therapy.ResultsThrough cluster analysis, six qualitatively different positions were found: Never very acceptable (8% of the sample, mostly males and more educated people), Legalist (17%, mostly people who have been informed of the legal and technical aspects of the therapy), Depends on the chances of success (18%), Fully acceptable after birth (5%), Fully acceptable before birth (8%), and Quite always acceptable (33%, mostly older people with children).ConclusionAlthough it has some few detractors, the recourse to gene therapy seems to be well accepted by a majority of the participants, and this high level of acceptation hold whether the pathology considered is hemophilia, immunodeficiency, propensity to develop cancer, or cardiovascular pathology.     

启新、拓新与创新——论生态伦理学对伦理学的贡献

构建和谐社会,必须弘扬生态伦理,繁荣生态伦理学。生态伦理学对伦理学的贡献功不可没,主要体现为：开辟了伦理学研究的新领域,确立了处理人与自然关系的新原则,培育了人对自然的新态度,对传统思想展开了新的系统批判,明确了人类在自然生活中扮演的新角色,对伦理学基本观念进行了新阐释,制定了人类行为新规范。     

医生执业特点引发的心理变化对医患关系的影响

近年来医患关系紧张成了一个社会热点问题.医生在执业过程中,可能受到一些内在心理因素的影响.通过对医生的执业特点及其引发的心理变化进行分析,包括工作压力、职业倦怠、风险、收入、伦理、信心等,试图寻找引起医患关系紧张的医生内在思想问题.通过这些问题的解决以期达到改善医患关系,增进卫生事业发展的目的.     

道德心理学的哲学思考--论心理学与伦理学的会通与融合

道德心理学把规范伦理学与实证心理学在哲学层面上结合起来,为理解人的道德行为提供了一种新的视角。伦理学与心理学的这种融合具体体现为：个人同一性与道德行为必须在心理上保持一致,才能形成真正的道德同一性,因此,美德有其独特的气质和情绪心理学机制。道德是在社会生活中形成的,处理好道德的社会关系是培养良好美德的基础。道德既有理性的层面,也有非理性的层面,培养和确立人的内在理性是成为道德人的心理学基础。基于心理学对道德生活的重要性,一种以心理学为基础的美德伦理学正在出现。     

Criticisms of the Ethical Principles for Psychologists and Code of Conduct

ABSTRACT

Beginning in 1953 the American Psychological Association (APA) has advanced twelve iterations of a professional ethical code. In recent years the adequacy of the Ethics Code as well as APA’s ethics enforcement has come under increased scrutiny. In 2015 the APA empaneled an Ethics Commission which made a series of recommendations; however, the Commission itself as well as its recommendations are also controversial. This paper presents criticisms of the Ethics Code that have generally not been discussed in the previous literature.     

国外学校心理学的发展及其启示

本文首先考察了国外学校心理学的发展历史和现状,并对国外学校心理学的发展趋势作出了预测。接着从我国中小学生及大学生的心理健康现状及我回学校心理服务现状两方面分析了建立我国学校心理学的条件。最后,对如何建立建设我国学校心理学提出了建议。     

西方伦理学的三种类型

西方伦理学主要有三种类型 :救世济时型、静观审思型和纯粹技术型。它们在话语模式、思想形式和代表人物的学术心态等方面各有其特点 ,这三种类型的伦理学各有其优长 ,相辅相成 ,不可或缺。     

Breaking Confidentiality to Report Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior by School Psychologists

School psychologists often break confidentiality if confronted with risky adolescent behavior. Members of the National Association of School Psychologists (N = 78) responded to a survey containing a vignette describing an adolescent engaging in risky behaviors and rated the degree to which it is ethical to break confidentiality for behaviors of varying frequency, intensity, and duration. Respondents generally found it ethical to break confidentiality when risky adolescent behaviors became more dangerous or potentially harmful, although there was considerable variability between respondents. Significant gender effects were found between male and female respondents for alcohol use, and a significant Form Type (i.e., male or female vignette) × Frequency/Duration interaction was observed for antisocial behaviors. School psychologists could benefit from further training in ethical decision making because these ethical dilemmas are not always clear-cut.     

试论信息伦理的特点与本质

信息伦理学作为科技哲学与伦理学的边缘学科 ,不仅要关注现实生活中出现的各种各样的信息行为 ,而且要深入研究信息的“元伦理学”问题 ,同时还要对信息化与传统社会现象交融过程中出现的“交叉伦理”问题进行相关分析 ,准确把握。信息伦理本质上有三个层面。即从信息伦理的起源上看 ,信息伦理是人类交往活动的现实需要和规律反映 ;从信息伦理的应用上看 ,信息伦理调节着人们在信息交往活动中的功利实现 ;从信息伦理的目的上看 ,信息伦理追求人类社会在信息时代的和谐与进步。     

论企业的伦理战略

伦理战略就是用战略的眼光审视、发掘、配置企业的伦理资源,以实现企业总体战略目标的战略方式;企业伦理战略的内容主要包括企业协调企业内部、与自然、企业与社会几方面之间伦理关系作出的全部战略安排;作为战略的伦理与一般的伦理相比,其在企业中的角色地位、目标追求、在市场中原则弹性、表现方式等方面都有较大区别;企业伦理战略是在“柠檬市场”普遍存在的背景下提出的,作为一种新的企业理念和运行模式,它会对企业内部、市场和其所存在的社会都产生深刻而积极的影响。     

The Ethics of Enhanced Interrogations and Torture: A Reappraisal of the Argument

This article critically reviews what is known about the ethical status of psychologists’ putative involvement with enhanced interrogations and torture (EITs). We examine three major normative ethical accounts (utilitarian, deontic, and virtue ethics) of EITs and conclude, contra the American Psychological Association, that reasonable arguments can be made that in certain cases the use of EITs is ethical and even, in certain circumstances, morally obligatory. We suggest that this moral question is complex as it has competing moral values involved, that is, the humane treatment of detainee competes with the ethical value/duty/virtue of protecting innocent third parties. We also suggest that there is an ethical duty to minimize harm by making only judicious and morally responsible allegations against the psychologists alleged to be involved in EITs. Finally, we make recommendations regarding completing the historical record, improvements in the professional ethics code, and the moral treatment of individuals accused in this controversy.     

试论理论心理学及其应用价值

理论心理学是近20年来涌现出的新学科。这是一门以理论思维方法对心理学的基本问题和规律进行探索的科学,已逐渐汇成为心理学各分支学科的理论基础。理论心理学在心理学中的地位,就应像理论物理学、理论化学在物理学和化学中一样,是心理学的学科体系中一个极为重要和不可缺少的组成部分。理论心理学并不是抽象的哲学建构,它也十分关注实践应用问题。当前理论心理学在西方已出现了两种比较成熟的行动应用模式。     

Ethical Issues and Potential Solutions Surrounding the Use of Spoken Language Interpreters in Psychology

The need for psychological services to limited English proficient clients is increasing. Psychologists who provide clinical services to limited English proficient clients are frequently required to use the services of spoken language interpreters. Research has shown that the quality and consistency of interpretation services are often in question. Interpreters are generally not required to hold any certifications or to meet training requirements prior to providing interpretation services. This lack of oversight leaves the psychologist responsible for the quality of the interpretation when adhering to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2010 Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. This article includes a discussion of the ethical and clinical issues inherent in providing psychological services through an interpreter, how those issues affect a psychologist’s adherence to the APA Ethics Code, and recommendations for meeting the ethical standards while providing sound clinical services through the use of spoken language interpreters.     

Ethical practice from the perspective of the forensic psychologist: Commentary on the uses and value of the Australian Psychological Society (2007) Code of Ethics

Forensic practice in Australia and around the world attracts a high level of public and judicial scrutiny. The way in which the forensic psychologist conducts him or herself in ethically challenging situations is important not only to the reputation of the individual practitioner, but to the profession more widely. This paper outlines some of the ethical issues that commonly arise in forensic psychology practice and discusses these in relation to the recently published Australian Psychological Society (2007) Code of Ethics. Four ethically challenging scenarios are described and discussed in terms of how the Code might be used to offer guidance to psychologists about how they might best respond.