Judging the Risk of Becoming Infected through Sexual Encounters

The authors examine the manner in which people integrate pieces of information to assess the risk of becoming infected through sexual encounters

Why do people enjoy watching natural disasters and human violence on television? : A reversal theory perspective

We explored the psychological links that may exist between people's choices of television program, conversation topics around the content of these programs, and people's perceived degree of threat associated with these programs. The theoretical framework of the study was reversal theory (Apter, 2001). Participants were presented with a series of questionnaires assessing the degree of threat associated with potentially stressful situations (e.g., running of the bulls), the degree of enjoyment associated with television programs dealing with these situations (e.g., watching a report about the running of the bulls), and the degree of enjoyment associated with participation in conversations about these programs. The overall finding was that (a) most people like to watch frightening television programs because they find these situations to be the most entertaining once their negative consequences have been removed, (b) most people like to choose conversation topics centered on risks and risky situations for the same reason, (c) some people dislike watching frightening television programs and do not preferentially choose conversation topics centered on risks and risky situations because these situations, although not real for them, are still highly stressful, and possibly psychologically harmful. We highlight the usefulness of the concept of protective frame in the domain of risk communication, risk perception, and risk behavio

Measuring dispositional forgiveness among Spanish adolescents and emerging adults: Psychometric properties of the Spanish Forgivingness Questionnaire (FQ)

The adaptation of the Forgivingness Questionnaire (FQ) has been performed for different languages and with diverse samples. So far, no psychometric properties were evaluated for a Spanish version of the FQ. The main aim of the current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the FQ in two Spanish samples: adolescents and emerging adults. A total of 1,076 participants: 419 adolescents (56% females; M.age = 13.78 years) and 657 emerging adults (64% females; Mage = 21.06 years) completed the Spanish version of FQ and other measures. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit for the three-factor model of the FQ, and high reliability for both samples. Convergent validity was supported and multi-group analyses showed the invariance of the factor structure of FQ across gender. These results provide evidence of good psychometric properties of the FQ as a tool to measure dispositional forgiveness among Spanish adolescents and emerging adults

Assessing Spaniard men’s willingness and determinants to use a male contraceptive pill

Objective As the clinical trials to develop male contraceptive pills are underway, understanding men’s attitudes towards this contraceptive method is transcendental. This research was conducted to identify the degree of willingness and the determinants to use male contraceptive pill among Spaniard men. Methods A sample of 402 Spaniards men was presented with 36 scenarios comprising four within-subject factors (cost of pills, pill efficacy, side effects and context). In each scenario, a man is asked by his partner to use the contraceptive pill. Participants indicated their own willingness to use the pill in each circumstance. Results Cluster analysis revealed that participants took one of seven different positions regarding their willingness to use a contraceptive pill: never agree (10%); mainly depends on pill efficacy (6%); mainly depends on side effects (10%); depends on side effects and efficacy (12%); depends on context and side effects (12%); quite always (25%); always agree (25%). Participants’ willingness to use contraceptive pills was more pronounced in the case of mild side effects and higher pill efficacy. Conclusion Fifty percent of participants would use the male pill regardless of the circumstances. Access to this contraceptive method, when available, can contribute to greater equity in reproductive rights of the population

Medição funcional no domínio da ética empírica

This paper presents the proposal of an empirical approach to ethics derived from a psychological theory of human judgment proposed by Norman Anderson. It shows how the methodology specific to this theory —functional measurement— makes it possible to characterize the various personal positions that exist in all societies regarding public health problems. The main results of three studies carried out in three different countries (Guinea, France, and Colombia) on various problems are presented as an illustration of what this approach can offer. These analyses focused on three deliberately very different problems: (a) the duty to care for infected patients in the event of a pandemic that puts at risk the lives of the health professionals, (b) the acceptability of postmortem reproduction in the specific context of fallen soldiers, and (c) the acceptability of physicianassisted suicide.El presente artículo propone un enfoque empírico de la ética derivado de la teoría psicológica del juicio humano propuesta por Norman Anderson. Muestra cómo la metodología de esta teoría —denominada medición funcional— puede utilizarse para caracterizar las diversas posiciones personales que existen en todas las sociedades respecto a los problemas de salud pública. Los principales resultados de tres estudios realizados en tres países diferentes (Guinea, Francia y Colombia) se presentan como ilustración de lo que puede aportar este enfoque. Dichos análisis se centraron en tres problemas deliberadamente muy diferentes: (a) el deber de atender a los pacientes infectados, en caso de una epidemia que ponga en peligro la vida de los cuidadores; (b) la aceptabilidad de la reproducción postmortem, en el caso de los soldados que mueren en combate, y (c) la aceptabilidad del suicidio asistido por un médico.Este artigo propõe uma abordagem empírica da ética derivada da teoria psicológica do julgamento humano proposta por Norman Anderson. Mostra como a metodología dessa teoria —denominada medição funcional— pode ser utilizada para caracterizar as diversas posições pessoais que existem em todas as sociedades em relação aos problemas de saúde pública. Os principais resultados de três estudos, realizados em três países diferentes (Guiné, França e Colômbia), são apresentados como uma ilustração do que esta abordagem pode contribuir.Esses estudos se concentraram em três problemas deliberadamente muito diferentes: (a) o deber de cuidar de pacientes infectados no caso de uma epidemia que ponha em risco a vida dos cuidadores, (b) a aceitabilidade da reprodução postmortem no caso de soldados que morrem em combate, e (c) a aceitabilidade do suicidio assistido por médicos

Functional measurement in the field of ethics in politics

We present, in a synthetic way, some of the main findings from ten studies that were conducted in the field of ethics in politics, using the Functional Measurement framework. These studies were about (a) Angolan and Mozambican people’s views about the legitimacy of military-humanitarian interventions, (b) French people’s perspectives regarding the government’s responsibility for the health of consumers of illicit substances, (c) Togolese people’s views about the acceptability of political amnesties in a time of political transition, (d) the perspective of victims of the genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda regarding the attribution of guilt by association to offspring of perpetrators, (e) slave descendants’ views about the acceptability of national policies on reparations for slavery, (f) Colombian people’s willingness to forgive perpetrators of violence who harmed family members during the civil war, (g) the attitudes of French and Colombian people about national drug control policies, (h) Indian students’ views about the appropriateness of the death penalty for murder or rape, (i) Colombian people’s perspectives regarding corruption, and finally (j) Venezuelan people’s conceptualization of human rights. The main findings are discussed in reference to six of the foundations of Moral Foundations Theory.Este texto presenta, de forma resumida, algunos de los principales resultados de diez estudios que se realizaron en el campo de la ética y la política, en el marco de la Medición Funcional. Estos estudios trataron de: (a) los puntos de vista de la gente de Angola y Mozambique sobre la legitimidad de las intervenciones militares-humanitaria; (b) las perspectivas de los franceses con respecto a la responsabilidad del gobierno con la salud de los consumidores de sustancias ilícitas; (c) las perspectivas de las personas de Togo acerca de la aceptabilidad de amnistías políticas en un momento de transición política; (d) las perspectivas de las víctimas del genocidio de los Tutsis en Ruanda en cuanto a la atribución de culpabilidad a los descendientes de los perpetradores de violencia; (e) los puntos de vista de los descendientes de esclavos acerca de la aceptabilidad de las políticas nacionales de reparaciones por la esclavitud; (f) la disposición de los colombianos a perdonar autores de la violencia que causaron daño a miembros de la familia durante el conflicto armado interno; (g) las actitudes de los franceses y colombianos acerca de las políticas nacionales de control de drogas; (h) los puntos de vista de los estudiantes indios acerca de la idoneidad de la pena de muerte por asesinato o violación; (i) las perspectivas de los colombianos con respecto a la corrupción, y, finalmente, (j) la conceptualización de los derechos humanos en la población venezolana. Los principales resultados se discuten en relación con seis de los fundamentos de la Teoría de los Fundamentos Morales