Researchers indicate that there are moral regulatory patterns in human behavior, such that individuals feel licensed to act unethically after establishing moral credentials and feel a need to compensate morally after committing transgressions. In the present study we examined how public or private context influences subsequent licensing and compensatory behavior. An online survey was administered to 99 undergraduates who were asked to recall moral credentials or deficits and then evaluate vignettes depicting public or private transgressions. Consistent with past research, credentialed participants were significantly more likely to behave unethically than were participants with moral deficits. However, this licensing effect occurred only for private transgressions and was absent when behavior was public. Our findings suggest that prior establishment of credentials and private context are both prerequisites to the moral licensing effect.
ProblemTo investigate whether and how faculty members in a department of medicine are engaged in public policy activities.ApproachBetween February and April 2011, the authors conducted a cross-sectional, Web-based survey of all active Department of Medicine faculty members at the University of California, San Francisco. Survey questions covered demographics, academic role, academic rank, and participation in three specific public policy activities during the past five years: (1) policy-related research, (2) expert advice to government officials, and (3) public policy advocacy in collaboration with organizations outside government.OutcomesTwo hundred twenty of 553 faculty (40%) responded to the survey. One hundred twenty-four faculty members (56% of respondents and 22% of total active faculty) reported that they were engaged in at least one of the three types of policy-related activities: 51 (23%) conducted policy-related research, 67 (30%) provided expert advice to government officials, and 93 (42%) collaborated with organizations to advocate for public policy. Higher faculty rank was significantly associated with faculty members reporting that they were involved in one or more of the three policy activities (P = .04).Next stepsAcademic departments should identify public policy expertise among their faculty and leverage this expertise by facilitating opportunities to develop a shared faculty awareness of their public policy activities, by supporting the establishment of mentoring relationships for less experienced faculty in the area of public policy, and by incorporating standards of excellence for work in public policy into the promotions process.
AbstractIntroductionWith improved HIV treatment availability in sub‐Saharan Africa, the population of older people with HIV (PWH) is growing. In this qualitative study, we intended to understand (1) the lived experiences of ageing people in rural Uganda, with and without HIV, (2) their fears and health priorities as they grow older.MethodsWe conducted 36 semi‐structured interviews with individuals with and without HIV in Mbarara, Uganda from October 2019 to February 2020. Interview guide topics included priorities in older age, physical functioning in daily activities, social functioning, HIV‐related stigma and the impact of multimorbidity on health and independence. Interviews were conducted in Runyankole, transcribed, translated and inductively coded thematically by two researchers with tests for inter‐coder reliability.ResultsThe respondents were purposively sampled to be evenly divided by sex and HIV serostatus. The median age of respondents was 57 (49–73). Two‐thirds were married or cohabitating, 94% had biological children and 75% cited farming as their primary livelihood. Overall, PWH considered themselves as healthy or healthier than people without HIV (PWOH). PWH rarely considered their HIV status a barrier to a healthy life, but some reported a constant sense of anxiety as it relates to their long‐term health. Irrespective of HIV status, nearly all respondents noted concerns about memory loss, physical pain, reductions in energy and the effect of these changes on their ability to complete physical tasks like small‐scale farming, and activities of daily living important to the quality of life, such as participating in community groups. Increasing reliance on others for social, physical and financial support was also a common theme. The most prevalent health concern among participants involved the threat of non‐communicable diseases and perceptions that physical functioning may diminish.ConclusionsIn rural Uganda, we found that PWH consider themselves to be healthy and do not anticipate a different ageing experience from PWOH. Common priorities shared by both groups included the desire for physical and financial independence, health maintenance and social support for daily functioning and social needs. Entities supporting geriatric care in Uganda would benefit from attention to concerns about functional limitations and reported needs as people age with and without HIV.
