Idea Technology and Ideology.

Although we are accustomed to thinking about technology as involving things-objects and processes-derived from scientific discoveries, science also creates a technology of ideas, ways of thinking both about the world and about human beings. And unlike "thing technology," "idea technology" can have powerful effects even when the ideas are false. This paper discusses false idea technology, or ideology, and suggests mechanisms by which it can have effects on both individuals and societies. It discusses neuroscience as the "next frontier" of ideology that may change our conceptions of human nature.

The framing of decisions "leaks" into the experiencing of decisions.

We connect Bermúdez's arguments to previous theorizing about "leaky" rationality, emphasizing that the decision process (including decision frames) "leaks" into the experience of decision outcomes. We suggest that the implications of Bermúdez's analysis are broadly applicable to the study of virtually all real-world decision making, and that the field needs a substantive and not just a formal theory of rationality.

Multiple types of motives don't multiply the motivation of West Point cadets.

Although people often assume that multiple motives for doing something will be more powerful and effective than a single motive, research suggests that different types of motives for the same action sometimes compete. More specifically, research suggests that instrumental motives, which are extrinsic to the activities at hand, can weaken internal motives, which are intrinsic to the activities at hand. We tested whether holding both instrumental and internal motives yields negative outcomes in a field context in which various motives occur naturally and long-term educational and career outcomes are at stake. We assessed the impact of the motives of over 10,000 West Point cadets over the period of a decade on whether they would become commissioned officers, extend their officer service beyond the minimum required period, and be selected for early career promotions. For each outcome, motivation internal to military service itself predicted positive outcomes; a relationship that was negatively affected when instrumental motives were also in evidence. These results suggest that holding multiple motives damages persistence and performance in educational and occupational contexts over long periods of time.

Choice Set Size Shapes Self-Expression.

Across six studies (total N = 3,549), we find that participants who were randomly assigned to choose from larger assortments thought their choices were more self-expressive, an effect that emerged regardless of whether larger sets actually enabled participants to better satisfy their preferences. Studies examining the moderating role of choice domain and cultural context show that the effect of choice set size on perceived self-expression may be particular to contexts in which choices have some initial potential to express choosers' identities. We then test novel predictions from this theoretical perspective, finding that self-expression mediates the effect of choice set size on choice satisfaction, the likelihood of publicly sharing choices, and the perceived importance of choices. Together, these studies show that choice set size shapes perceived self-expression and illustrate how this meaning-based theoretical lens provides both novel explanations for existing effects and novel predictions for future research.

Balancing the Freedom-Security Trade-Off During Crises and Disasters.

During crises and disasters, such as hurricanes, terrorist threats, or pandemics, policymakers must often increase security at the cost of freedom. Psychological science, however, has shown that the restriction of freedom may have strong negative consequences for behavior and health. We suggest that psychology can inform policy both by elucidating some negative consequences of lost freedom (e.g., depression or behavioral reactance) and by revealing strategies to address them. We propose four interlocking principles that can help policymakers restore the freedom-security balance. Careful consideration of the psychology of freedom can help policymakers develop policies that most effectively promote public health, safety, and well-being when crises and disasters strike.

Writing off the copayment.

Three dentists who have been involved in teaching ethics comment on a case where an associate discovers that the 40% of collections she was expecting as compensation is being reduced because of the practice in the office of routinely writing off patient copays. The commentators note legal requirements and professional codes, but generally seek alternatives that do not require that patients pay the amount agreed by insurance contracts.

Effects of addiction science on conceived freewill and responsibility.

Although there is speculation that medicalization of addiction undermines conceived agency, only relatively modest effects have been reported. Research participants generally have ideas about addiction that are informed both by personal experience and by media, and their views may not be wholly updated in response to study-information. Here we examine the potential impact of addiction science theories on perceived volition and responsibility by considering the issues in the context of a hypothetical new drug, "Z." Participants (N = 662) were provided one of three functional accounts that each corresponded to a prominent theory within addiction science: incentive-sensitization, impaired self-control, and habit-system dominance. For half of participants, additional neuroscience mechanism information was included with the functional account. Across explanations, the inclusion of mechanism information was associated with significantly less perceived volition and marginal reduction in blame, For several measures, there was a significant or marginally significant interaction between which addiction explanation was used and whether mechanism information was included, with mechanism generally having the largest impact given the impaired self-control explanation of addiction and little evidence of impact given the incentive-sensitization explanation of addiction. Taken together, these results suggest robust effects of addiction science on judgments of agency when presented in the context of a novel addiction. It is unclear whether a sustained scientific consensus around an existing theory could produce a similar impact on how people understand real addictive behavior.

Comparing Practice Management Courses in Canadian Dental Schools.

Practice management has become an increasingly important aspect of dental education over the years in order to better prepare students for the reality of practice. The aim of this study was to quantify and describe practice management courses taught at the ten Canadian dental schools in order to identify common approaches, compare hours, determine types of instructors, and assess the relationship between courses' learning objectives and the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD) competencies and Bloom's cognitive levels. The academic deans at these ten schools were surveyed in 2016; all ten schools responded for a 100% response rate. The authors also gathered syllabi and descriptions of the courses and analyzed them for themes. The results showed a total of 22 practice management courses in the ten Canadian dental schools. The courses provided 27 to 109 hours of teaching and were mostly taught in the third and fourth years and by dentists on three main topics: ethics, human resource management, and running a private practice. The courses were correlated to the ACFD competencies related to ethics, professionalism, application of basic principles of business practices, and effective interpersonal communication. Most of the courses' learning objectives addressed comprehension and knowledge in Bloom's cognitive levels of learning. These results can help to guide discussions on how practice management courses can be developed, improved, and refined to meet the challenges of preparing students for dental practice.

Perceptions about conflicts of interest: an Ontario survey of dentists' opinions.

The purpose of this study was to explore the opinions that general dental practitioners in Ontario have regarding various situations that may be perceived as a conflict of interest. Standard quantitative analyses were employed to assess the association of attitudes and opinions concerning conflict of interest with gender, length of practice, and prior interpersonal communication, ethics, and religious training through a survey of general practice dentists in Ontario. Positive associations were found between the recognition of conflicts of interest and the number of years of dental practice, interpersonal communication training, and the reading of ethics-related articles in journals. Opinions vary on what is and is not a conflict of interest. Dental education has shaped a better understanding of these issues; however, for many dentists, previous education has not been totally adequate to guide them through conflict of interest situations. Age and mode and length of practice appear to have a direct effect on awareness of conflict of interest issues. Dentists need specific instruction and clearer direction regarding conflict of interest issues, so that they can better manage situations deemed to be conflicting and thereby earn and maintain patient trust in the profession.

The evolving relationship between specialists and general dentists: practical and ethical challenges.

As dentistry evolves, so has the interrelationship between specialists and dentists, in many cases to maintain a full office schedule amidst changes in patient needs and practice philosophies. This essay will consider the ethical implications as well as the enablers and disablers of relationships between specialists working in a general dentist's office. Dentists need to consider all of the ethical implications before embarking on new relationships between dentists and specialists in order to best maintain patient trust and to provide enhanced patient care.

A new science of happiness: the paradox of pleasure.

The pursuit of happiness is enshrined in the founding document of our nation as a fundamental and inalienable right. Yet nowhere is the method of this pursuit clearly defined. What, exactly, does it mean to be happy, and how can such happiness be sustained over the long term? Can happiness be accurately gauged or measured? How does the paradoxical relationship between happiness and pleasure shape our quest to lead the good life? And what does modern science have to tell us about this universal yet elusive pursuit? Steve Paulson, executive producer and host of To the Best of Our Knowledge, moderated a discussion that included attorney and author Kim Azzarelli, historian Darrin McMahon, and social psychologist Barry Schwartz, who joined forces to share their research and insight on happiness, pleasure, and the coveted good life.

Errors in dentistry: a call for apology.

Bad outcomes occur in dentistry and sometimes these are the results of dental errors. In both cases, this essay will argue that apologies are very important in maintaining a relationship with the patient that is based on trust and mutual respect. Nevertheless, apologies are often not forthcoming in dentistry for a number of reasons that deserve careful examination. In particular, the dentist's fear that an apology will increase the risk of legal harm will be critiqued. Ethical and psychological reasons for making an apology will be discussed, and strategies to assist clinicians in making an apology will be offered.

On Klatzky and Creswell (2014): saving social priming effects but losing science as we know it?

Klatzky and Creswell (2014) offer an interpretation of the unreliability of social priming effects by analogizing them to what is known about the complexity of cross-modal transfer effects in perception. The complexity of these transfer effects arises because they are both multiply determined and stochastic. In this commentary, I argue that Klatzky and Creswell's thoughtful contribution raises the possibility that there might be deep and substantive limits to both the replicability and the generalizability of many of the phenomena that most interest psychologists, including social priming effects. Psychological phenomena largely governed by what Fodor (1983) called the "central system" may resist both replication and generalization by their very nature and not because of weak and underpowered experimental methods. With such phenomena, science might give us very good tools for explanation, but not for prediction (replication).

Common Sense Beliefs about the Central Self, Moral Character, and the Brain.

To assess lay beliefs about self and brain, we probed people's opinions about the central self, in relation to morality, willful control, and brain relevance. In study 1, 172 participants compared the central self to the peripheral self. The central self, construed at this abstract level, was seen as more brain-based than the peripheral self, less changeable through willful control, and yet more indicative of moral character. In study 2, 210 participants described 18 specific personality traits on 6 dimensions: centrality to self, moral relevance, willful control, brain dependence, temporal stability, and desirability. Consistent with Study 1, centrality to the self, construed at this more concrete level, was positively correlated to brain dependence. Centrality to the self was also correlated to desirability and temporal stability, but not to morality or willful control. We discuss differences and similarities between abstract (Study 1) and concrete (Study 2) levels of construal of the central self, and conclude that in contemporary American society people readily embrace the brain as the underlying substrate of who they truly are.

Differences in smooth pursuit eye movement between posttraumatic stress disorder with secondary psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia.

Studies show high comorbidity between post-traumatic stress disorder and psychotic symptoms. Despite this fact, there has been only one published study of the neurobiology of this enigmatic disorder. This preliminary study examines the relationship between psychotic symptoms in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia by measuring smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM) in subjects with PTSD and secondary psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia, and healthy controls. The results show that PTSD with secondary psychotic symptoms is associated with a SPEM deficit that is different from the SPEM deficit associated with schizophrenia.

Maximizing versus satisficing: happiness is a matter of choice.

Can people feel worse off as the options they face increase? The present studies suggest that some people--maximizers--can. Study 1 reported a Maximization Scale, which measures individual differences in desire to maximize. Seven samples revealed negative correlations between maximization and happiness, optimism, self-esteem, and life satisfaction, and positive correlations between maximization and depression, perfectionism, and regret. Study 2 found maximizers less satisfied than nonmaximizers (satisficers) with consumer decisions, and more likely to engage in social comparison. Study 3 found maximizers more adversely affected by upward social comparison. Study 4 found maximizers more sensitive to regret and less satisfied in an ultimatum bargaining game. The interaction between maximizing and choice is discussed in terms of regret, adaptation, and self-blame.

A call for ethics committees in dental organizations and in dental education.

It is argued that dental organizations need ethics committees to address growing concerns among the public regarding ethical conduct. Such committees could provide education, help formulate policy and guidelines, and develop case review and consultation, as well as create useful networks. The results of a survey of Canadian faculties of dentistry regarding ethics resources are presented.