Published Peer-Reviewed Academic Journals
Abstract This article draws on the behavioral science literature to offer empiricallydriven policy prescriptions that can reduce the effect of bias and ameliorateunequal treatment in policing, the criminal justice system, employment,and national security.
Combating biased decision making and promoting justice and equal treatment. Read More »
This paper investigates the question: “How did physician prescribing behavior change after US academic medical centers implemented policies that limited pharmaceutical salesperson detailing?” Abstract Importance In an effort to regulate physician conflicts of interest, some US academic medical centers (AMCs) enacted policies restricting pharmaceutical representative sales visits to physicians (known as detailing) between 2006
Abstract Racial minorities are disproportionately imprisoned in the United States. This disparity is unlikely to be due solely to differences in criminal behavior. Behavioral science research has documented that prosecutors harbor unconscious racial biases. These unconscious biases play a role whenever prosecutors exercise their broad discretion, such as in choosing what crimes to charge and
Abstract Expressing distress at work can have negative consequences for employees: observers perceive employees who express distress as less competent than employees who do not. Across five experiments, we explore how reframing a socially inappropriate emotional expression (distress) by publicly attributing it to an appropriate source (passion) can shape perceptions of, and decisions about, the
Managing perceptions of distress at work: Reframing emotion as passion. Read More »
Abstract This paper explores the impact of disclosures of bias on advisees. Disclosure—informing advisees of a potential bias—is a popular solution for managing conflicts of interest. Prior research has focused almost exclusively on disclosures of financial conflicts of interest but little is known about how disclosures of other types of biases could impact advisees. In
Effect of physician disclosure of specialty bias on patient trust and treatment choice. Read More »
Abstract Second opinions have been advocated as an antidote to bias in advice when primary advisors have conflicts of interest. In four experiments, we demonstrate how primary advisors alter their advice due to knowledge of the presence of a second advisor. We show that advisors give more biased advice and adopt a profit-maximizing frame when
Conflicted advice and second opinions: Benefits, but unintended consequences. Read More »
Summary Based on a personal experience, in this paper I discuss the impact of investigations-before-examinations on healthcare costs, patient safety, and the quality of care. Unnecessary tests, such as x-rays, can lead to a cascade of further investigations due to incidental findings and contribute to cumulative radiation exposure. I explore the power dynamics within the
Investigations before examinations: This is how we practice medicine here. Read More »
Abstract Professionals face conflicts of interest when they have a personal interest in giving biased advice. Mandatory disclosure—informing consumers of the conflict—is a widely adopted strategy in numerous professions, such as medicine, finance, and accounting. Prior research has shown, however, that such disclosures have little impact on consumer behavior, and can backfire by leading advisors
Abstract This article comments on an article by Kouchaki and Smith (see record 2014-01364-010) and explores individuals’ chronotypes and time of day predict their ethicality. The current authors maintain that sleep is governed by two processes: (1) homeostatic processes increase people’s sleep propensity while they are awake, and (2) circadian processes produce cyclical fluctuations in
Debate regarding the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening test centers around test reliability and whether screening reduces mortality.1-3 We consider yet another potential downside to the widespread use of unreliable screening tests: the downstream effect of receiving inconclusive or ambiguous results. When receiving information from screening tests, we usually want to know whether the result is
Investigation momentum: The relentless pursuit to resolve uncertainty. Read More »
