How can Respectfulness in Medical Professionals be Increased? A Complex but Important Question.

Respectfulness is demanded of doctors and predicts more positive patient health-related outcomes but research is scarce on ways to promote it. This study explores two ways to conceptualize unconditional respect from medical students, defined as respect paid to people on the basis of their humanity, in order to inform strategies to increase it. Unconditional respect conceptualized as an attitude suggests that unconditional respect and conditional respect are additive, whereas unconditional respect conceptualized as a personality trait suggests that people who are high on unconditional respect afford equal respect to all humans regardless of their merits. One-hundred and eighty one medical students completed an unconditional respect measure then read a description of a respect-worthy or a non-respect-worthy man and indicated their respect towards him. The study found a main effect for unconditional respect and a main effect for target respect-worthiness but no interaction between the two when respect paid to the target was assessed, supporting the attitude-based conceptualization. This suggests that unconditional respect can be increased through relevant interventions aimed at increasing the relative salience to doctors of the human worth of individuals. Interventions to increase unconditional respect are discussed

Study of Various Extracts of Ayapana triplinervis for their Potential in Controlling Three Insect Pests of Horticultural Crops

Chemical groups of Ayapana triplinervis, extracted successively with hexane, petroleum ether, methanol, chloroform: methanol (1:1), and chloroform: methanol (4:1) were studied for their effects on Plutella xylostella, Crocidolomia binotalis and Myzus persicae, three serious pests of horticultural crops in Mauritius. The most bioactive extracts were further fractionated into groups using Thin Layer Chromatography, and seven of those exhibiting strongest activity were tested on each of the three test insects. Results showed that the alkaloids and tannins exhibited greatest feeding deterrence in P. xylostella and C. binotalis, followed by phenols and flavonoids. In the case of M. persicae, A. triplinervis extracts disrupted growth and development of the nymphs, had significant pest control properties, and were good candidates for further study on their potential as botanical pesticides, in the context of an organic farming/ sustainable agriculture system, as an environmentallyfriendly alternative to synthetic insecticides

Emotional and behavioural reactions to moral transgressions: cross-cultural and individual variations in India and Britain.

Reactions to moral transgressions are subject to influence at both the cultural and individual levels. Transgressions against an individual's rights or against social conventions of hierarchy may elicit different reactions in individualistic and collectivistic cultures. In the current study, affective and behavioural reactions to transgressions of autonomy (rights) and community (hierarchy) were examined in India and Britain. Results revealed that although reactions to autonomy transgressions are similar in India and Britain, Indian participants express more moral outrage than do Britons in response to transgressions of community. Results also supported the contention of emotion-specificity in affective moral reaction: Participants in both India and Britain reported anger in response to autonomy transgressions, but contempt in response to violations of community. Importantly, these results extend previous research by demonstrating the importance of emotion specificity in moral reactions, as opposed to categorization or dilemma resolution. In addition, an individual difference measure of respect for persons was shown to moderate reactions to moral transgressions. Specifically, participants with high respect for persons were less negative to violators of the community ethic, but not the autonomy ethic. These findings highlight the importance of examining emotion-specific responses in the moral domain and introduce a significant individual difference variable, respect for persons, into the psychology of morality. Les réactions aux transgressions morales sont susceptibles d'influence à la fois aux niveaux culturel et individuel. Les transgressions contre les droits d'un individu ou contre les conventions sociales d'hiérarchie peuvent susciter de différentes réactions dans les cultures individualiste et collectiviste. Dans la présente étude, les réactions affective et comportementale aux transgressions de l'autonomie (droits) et de la communauté (hiérachie) ont été examinées en Inde et en Grande-Bretagne. Les résultats ont indiqué que, malgré la similitude des réactions aux transgressions de l'autonomie en Inde et en Grande-Bretagne, les participants indiens ont exprimé plus d'indignation morale que les britanniques en réponse aux transgressions de la communauté. Les résultats ont également appuyé la controverse de la spécifité de l'émotion dans la relation morale affective: les participants à la fois en Inde et en Grande-Bretagne ont rapporté de la colère en réponse aux transgressions de l'autonomie mais du mépris en réponse aux transgressions de la communauté. De façon importante, ces résultats ont élargi la recherche passée en démontrant l'importance de la spécificité de l'émotion dans les réactions morales, contrairement à la catégorisation ou à la solution du dilemme. En plus, il a été démontré qu'une mesure des différences individuelles du respect envers les personnes a modéré les réactions aux transgressions morales. Spécifiquement, les participants ayant un grand respect envers les personnes ont été moins négatifs envers les violateurs de l'éthique de la communauté mais pas de l'éthique de l'autonomie. Ces résultats soulignent l'importance d'examiner les réponses spécifique à l'émotion dans le domaine moral et introduisent une variable des différences individuelles, soit le respect envers les personnes, dans la psychologie de la moralité. Las reacciones a las transgresiones morales están sujetas a la influencia a niveles culturales e individuales. Las transgresiones contra los derechos individuales o convenciones sociales de jerarquías pueden provocar distintas reacciones en las culturas individualistas y colectivistas. En el presente estudio, se examinaron las reacciones afectivas y conductuales a las transgresiones contra la autonomía (derechos) y comunidad (jerarquía) en la India y en Gran Bretaña. Los resultados demostraron que, aunque las reacciones a las transgresiones contra la autonomía fueran parecidas en la India y en Gran Bretaña, los participantes indios expresaron más indignación moral que los británicos en la respuesta a la transgresión contra la comunidad. Los resultados también apoyan la visión de la especificidad emocional en la reacción afectiva moral: los participantes en la India y también en Gran Bretaña mostraron ira en respuesta a la transgresión contra la autonomía y desprecio en respuesta a la violación de la comunidad. De forma importante, estos resultados amplían los estudios anteriores demostrando la importancia de la especificidad emocional en las reacciones morales frente a la categorización o resolución de los dilemas. Adicionalmente, las medidas de las diferencias individuales en el respeto para personas moderan las reacciones a la transgresión moral. Específicamente, los participantes con alto respeto para personas fueron menos negativos a la hora de violar la ética de la comunidad pero no la ética de la autonomía. Estos resultados subrayan la importancia de estudiar las respuestas emocionales específicas en el dominio moral e introducen una variable de diferencias individuales significativas, respeto para personas, dentro de la psicología de la moralidad

Respect for persons in the intergroup context: Self-other overlap and intergroup emotions as mediators of the impact of respect on action tendencies

Two studies examined self-other overlap and intergroup emotions as mediators of the effects of respect for persons on action tendencies towards outgroup members. In contexts of both mild (Study 1) and more severe (Study 2) intergroup conflict, respect for persons predicted action tendencies towards outgroup members: those who value the intrinsic worth of others (high respect for persons) expressed less negative and more positive action tendencies towards outgroup members than did those with low respect for persons. These effects were obtained while controlling for Social Dominance Orientation and Agreeableness (Study 1). Further, the effects of respect for persons on action tendencies were shown to be partially mediated by self-other overlap and intergroup emotions. The findings support previous work in suggesting that respect for persons is an important predictor in intergroup contexts, and they highlight potential mechanisms through which respect might operate