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Accepted (AM)Open Access (License Unspecified), Open
Journal article
Moral attitudes and willingness to enhance and repair cognition with brain stimulation
Brain stimulation, v 12(1), pp 44-53
01 Jan 2019
PMID: 30309762
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Background: The availability of technological means to enhance and repair human cognitive function raises questions about the perceived morality of their use. However, we have limited knowledge about the public's intuitive attitudes toward uses of brain stimulation. Studies that enlighten us about the public's willingness to endorse specific uses of brain stimulation on themselves and others could provide a basis to understand the moral psychology guiding intuitions about neuromodulation and opportunities to inform public education and public policy.
Objective: Hypothesis: We expected that subjects would be less willing to enhance or repair cognitive functions perceived as more "core" to "authentic" self-identity, prioritize brain stimulation uses for themselves, and more willing to enhance "core" functions in others. Across specific hypothetical uses, we expected the moral acceptability of specific uses to be associated with subjects' willingness to endorse them.
Methods: We administered two surveys to the public in which subjects were asked to report how willing they would be to enhance or repair specific cognitive abilities using a hypothetical brain stimulation device called "Ceremode".
Results: Among 894 subjects, we found that subjects were more willing to use technologies to repair other people than themselves. They were most inclined to repair core functions in others. Subjects' ratings of the moral acceptability of specific uses was related to their reported willingness to use brain stimulation.
Conclusion: Moral acceptability is related to the public's willingness to use brain stimulation. These findings suggest that the public endorses a generous approach to applying brain stimulation for cognitive gains in others. Further, this study establishes a basis to guide moral psychological studies of cognitive modification and social processes that guide attitudes toward and uses of brain stimulation. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Details
- Title
- Moral attitudes and willingness to enhance and repair cognition with brain stimulation
- Creators
- John D. Medaglia - University of PennsylvaniaDavid Bryce Yaden - University of PennsylvaniaChelsea Helion - Columbia UniversityMadeline Haslam - Washington College
- Publication Details
- Brain stimulation, v 12(1), pp 44-53
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- 1-DP5-OD-021352-01; R01-DC014960-01 / Office of the Director at the National Institute of Mental Health Perelman School of Medicine DP5OD021352 / OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA R01DC014960 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000453259000006
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85054461627
- Other Identifier
- 991019169580604721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Neurosciences