Published Articles In The Popular Press
Financial incentives can be a factor in pandemic policy decisions—albeit frequently at a subconscious and unintentional level. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders face difficult decisions that involve trade-offs between economic outcomes and public safety. These conflicts of interest can impact decisions related to closures, quarantines, lockdowns, social distancing, and mask-wearing. However, many decision-makers claim that …
When my doctor ordered a CT scan that I didn’t need, I found myself in an uncomfortable position. Even though, as a physician myself, I knew that it was unnecessary, as a patient, I still felt compelled to comply. In this article I explain how difficult it can be to say no to bad advice …
Why you find it so hard to resist taking bad advice. Read More »
There is a misperception that forensic sciense is flawless but miscarriages of justice caused as a result of bad science are not uncommon. A report from the National Research Council in 2009 highlighted that many forensic techniques had no scientific basis. The National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS) aimed to explore these issues and recommend …
As consumers and citizens in the internet era, we have access to more information than ever when making purchases and other choices that affect our health, safety, and well-being. But sometimes what marketers don’t say is at least as important as what they do say. But how do consumers react when marketers withhold information that would be relevant to …
Missing Product Information Doesn’t Bother Consumers as Much as It Should. Read More »
A national commission created to improve the reliability of forensics has been dealt a possibly fatal blow. Keith Allen Harward served 33 years in jail after being convicted of rape and murder, largely on the strength of bite mark evidence. He was subsequently found to be innocent on the basis of DNA evidence and released. …
We Must Strengthen the “Science” in Forensic Science (blog post). Read More »
SUMMARY Many experts and politicians believe there is systematic racism throughout the criminal justice system. Is training enough to eliminate such racial bias? We don’t think so. Indeed, people of color make up about 30 percent of the United States’ population, but they account for 60 percent of those imprisoned. By some estimates, one in …
A POPULAR remedy for a conflict of interest is disclosure — informing the buyer (or the patient, etc.) of the potential bias of the seller (or the doctor, etc.). Disclosure is supposed to act as a warning, alerting consumers to their adviser’s stake in the matter so they can process the advice accordingly. But as …
In this short article published in Psychology Today I tell my own story of a vaccination injury to my left shoulder. The increasing pain that resulted led me to to visit my doctor to address the issue and my experience that followed demonstrated a flaw in the sequence of events within the practice of U.S. …
The Problem with Investigation before Examination Read More »
This study in sheds light on the ebb and flow of ethical behavior throughout the day. Contrary to the idea of fixed “good” or “bad” people, we found that ethical conduct fluctuates based on energy levels and the time of day. Notably, even those who are usually ethical may succumb to unethical behavior when fatigued. …