Individual notions of distributive justice and relative economic status

We present two experiments designed to investigate whether individuals’ notions of distributive justice are associated with their relative (within-society) economic status. Each participant played a specially designed four-person dictator game under one of two treatments, under one initial endowments were earned, under the other they were randomly assigned. The first experiment was conducted in Oxford, United Kingdom, the second in Cape Town, South Africa. In both locations we found that relatively well-off individuals make allocations to others that reflect those others’ initial endowments more when those endowments were earned rather than random; among relatively poor individuals this was not the case.Distributive Justice, Inequality, Laboratory Experiments.

Individual notions of distributive justice and relative economic status

We present two experiments designed to investigate whether individuals’ notions of distributive justice are associated with their relative (within-society) economic status. Each participant played a specially designed four-person dictator game under one of two treatments, under one initial endowments were earned, under the other they were randomly assigned. The first experiment was conducted in Oxford, United Kingdom, the second in Cape Town, South Africa. In both locations we found that relatively well-off individuals make allocations to others that reflect those others’ initial endowments more when those endowments were earned rather than random; among relatively poor individuals this was not the case.Distributive Justice, Inequality, Laboratory Experiments

Individual notions of distributive justice and relative economic status

Issues of inequality, distribution and redistribution are commanding progressively more attention in the minds of not only world leaders, politicians, and academics but also of ordinary people. So, what constitutes distributive justice in the minds of ordinary people? The philosophical literature offers several alternative principles of distributive justice. But which of these, if any, do ordinary people adopt as the principle against which to judge their own and other people's and entities' outcomes and actions? This paper presents the findings from two experiments designed to test the hypothesis that individuals' notions of distributive justice are associated with their economic status relative to others within their own society. In the experiments, each participant played a specially designed distribution game. This game allowed us to establish whether and to what extent the participants perceived inequalities owing to differences in productivity rather than luck as just and, hence, not in need of redress. A type of participant that distinguished between inequalities owing to productivity and luck, redressing the latter and not or to a lesser extent the former, is said to be subject to an earned endowment effect. Drawing on previous work in both economics and psychology, we hypothesised that the richer members of any society would be more likely to be subject to an earned endowment effect, while the poorer members would be more inclined towards redistribution irrespective of whether the inequality was owing to productivity or luck. We conducted our first experiment in the UK. We selected unemployed residents of one city to represent low economic status individuals and student and employed residents of the same city to represent relatively high economic status individuals. We found a statistically significant earned endowment effect among the students and employed and no effect among the unemployed. The difference between the unemployed and the others was also statistically significant. Our second experiment was designed to test the generalizability of the findings from our first. It was conducted in Cape Town, South Africa. Exploiting the fact that Cape Town is home to one of the continent's best universities, we built a participant sample that was highly comparable to the UK sample in many regards. However, the states of employment and unemployment are less distinct in South Africa as compared to the UK and a number of interventions are in place to ensure that the student body of the University of Cape Town includes young people from not only rich and middle income but also poorer households. So, in South Africa we chose to rely on responses to a survey question to distinguish between high and low economic status individuals. The findings from this second experiment also supported the hypothesis; among individuals who classified their households as rich or high or middle income there was a statistically significant earned endowment effect, among individuals who classified their households as poor or low income there was not and the different between the two participant types was significant. We conclude that individuals' notions of distributive justice are associated with their relative economic status within society and that this is a generalizable result.Distributive Justice; inequality; laboratory experiments.

Individual notions of distributive justice and relative economic status

We present two experiments designed to investigate whether individuals’ notions of distributive justice are associated with their relative (within-society) economic status. Each participant played a specially designed four-person dictator game under one of two treatments, under one initial endowments were earned, under the other they were randomly assigned. The first experiment was conducted in Oxford, United Kingdom, the second in Cape Town, South Africa. In both locations we found that relatively well-off individuals make allocations to others that reflect those others’ initial endowments more when those endowments were earned rather than random; among relatively poor individuals this was not the case.distributive justice, inequality, laboratory experiments

Economic status and acknowledgement of earned entitlement

We present a series of experiments that investigates whether tendencies to acknowledge entitlement owing to effort and productivity are associated with within society economic status. Each participant played a four-person dictator game under one of two treatments, under one initial endowments were earned, under the other they were randomly assigned. The experiments were conducted in the United Kingdom, and South Africa. In both locations we found that relatively well-off individuals make allocations to others that reflect those others’ initial endowments more when those endowments were earned rather than random; among relatively poor individuals this was not the case

A survey of thickened fluid prescribing and monitoring practices of Australian health professionals.

"This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Murray, J., Miller, M., Doeltgen, S. & Scholten, I. (2014). A survey of thickened fluid prescribing and monitoring practices of Australian health professionals. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 20(5), 596-600.], which has been published in final form at [http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jep.12154]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-820227.html#terms"RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe (1) how thickened fluids are supplied to clients with dysphagia; (2) how clients' consumption of thickened fluids and hydration status is monitored; and (3) the impact of institutional factors on thickened fluid intake and hydration in Australian health care settings. METHODS: Speech pathologists, dietitians and nurses working in Australian health care settings were asked to voluntarily participate in an online survey that was advertised through their respective professional associations. The questions required a self-report of their practice with respect to thickened fluids. RESULTS: Few health care facilities (17%) monitored thickened fluid consumption routinely even though, in the opinion of 51% the respondents, clients on thickened fluids at their facility do not drink enough. Palatability of the thickened fluid products and patients' dependence on others for drinking were thought to have a major impact on fluid intake. Respondents also highlighted institutional factors such as inadequate assistance from staff and inconsistent systems for monitoring fluid intake and signs of dehydration. The most common way to address inadequate intake was for nurses to 'push fluids' (87%). Free water protocols were used only 14% of the time and setting small oral fluid targets throughout the day was the least common strategy (11%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for Australian health care facilities to educate all clinical staff about the risks of dehydration and develop clinical pathways for clients with dysphagia, which include routine monitoring of oral fluid consumption and dehydration and timely intervention

Does a Water Protocol Improve the Hydration and Health Status of Individuals with Thin Liquid Aspiration Following Stroke? A Randomized Controlled Trial

Author accepted manuscript made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (17 Feb 2016) in accordance with publisher copyright policy. “The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00455-016-9694-x”.The benefit of water protocols for individuals with thin liquid aspiration remains controversial, with mixed findings from a small number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This study aimed to contribute to the evidence of the effectiveness of water protocols with a particular emphasis on health outcomes, especially hydration. An RCT was conducted with patients with known thin liquid aspiration post stroke randomized to receiving thickened liquids only or a water protocol. For the 14 participants in rehabilitation facilities whose data proceeded to analysis, there was no difference in the total amount of beverages consumed between the water protocol group (mean = 1103 ml per day, SD = 215 ml) and the thickened liquids only group (mean = 1103 ml, SD = 247 ml). Participants in the water protocol group drank on average 299 ml (SD 274) of water but offset this by drinking less of the thickened liquids. Their hydration improved over time compared with participants in the thickened liquids only group, but differences between groups were not significant. Twenty-one percent of the total sample was diagnosed with dehydration, and no participants in either group were diagnosed with pneumonia. There were significantly more diagnoses of urinary tract infection in the thickened liquids only group compared to the water protocol group (χ 2 = 5.091, p = 0.024), but no differences between groups with regard to diagnoses of dehydration (χ 2 = 0.884, p = 0.347) or constipation (χ 2 = 0.117, p = 0.733). The findings reinforce evidence about the relative safety of water protocols for patients in rehabilitation post stroke and provide impetus for future research into the potential benefits for hydration status and minimizing adverse health outcomes

Intake of thickened liquids by hospitalized adults with dysphagia after stroke

Author manuscript made available in accordance with publisher copyright policy.There is widespread concern that individuals with dysphagia as a result of stroke do not drink enough fluids when they are prescribed thickened liquids. This paper details a retrospective audit of thickened liquid consumption of 69 individuals with dysphagia following stroke in acute and rehabilitation hospitals in Adelaide, South Australia. Hospitalized individuals with dysphagia following stroke drank a mean of 781 ml (SD = 507 ml) of prescribed thickened liquids per day, significantly less in the acute setting (M = 519 ml, SD = 305 ml) than in the rehabilitation setting (M = 1274 ml, SD = 442 ml) (t(67) = -8.34, p < .001). This daily intake of thickened liquids was lower than recommended standards of fluid intake for hospitalized adults. Fluid intake could be increased with definitive protocols for the provision and monitoring of consumption of thickened liquids, by offering more fluid via food or free water protocols or by routine use of non-oral supplementary routes. Future research into the effectiveness of such recommendations needs to evaluate not only the impact on fluid intake but also on health outcomes

A Descriptive Study of the Fluid Intake, Hydration, and Health Status of Rehabilitation Inpatients without Dysphagia Following Stroke

Author manuscript made available here following 12 month embargo from the date of publication (12 August 2015) in accordance with publisher copyright policy.Adequate hydration is important for all people, particularly when hospitalized with illness. Individuals with dysphagia following stroke are considered to be at risk of inadequate fluid intake and, therefore, dehydration, but there is little information about the fluid intake or hydration of individuals without dysphagia poststroke. This cohort study measured the average beverage intake, calculated the urea/creatinine ratio as a measure of hydration, and documented specific health outcomes of 86 people without dysphagia poststroke who were inpatients in rehabilitation centers. Participants drank on average 1504 ml per day (SD 359 ml), which typically represented 67% of their estimated daily requirement. Approximately 44% of the participants in the sample were dehydrated based on a blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio >20:1. Sixteen percent of participants were diagnosed with one or more of the health outcomes of dehydration/hypernatremia, urinary tract infection, or constipation. A greater level of dependence was associated with poorer beverage intake and higher risk of an adverse health outcome. Those in the older/elderly age range (particularly older women) and those with poor mobility were most at risk of poor hydration. This study highlights that patients in rehabilitation facilities poststroke, even without dysphagia, may be at risk of suboptimal fluid intake and hydration