An Ethical Systems Book Review BY JARED WOLF Cheating in College: Why Students Do It and What Educators Can Do About It by: Donald L. McCabe, Kenneth D. Butterfield, and Linda K. Treviño John Hopkins University Press (2012) Public Library Summarized by Jared Wolf From one-room elementary schoolhouses to several hundred-person college lecture halls, students have sought loopholes and…
Learning to do more in-depth thinking and taking full advantage of hidden decision-making opportunities can reduce anxiety. Note: This is part two in a three-part series addressing how leaders at every level can become better equipped to navigate the new world of work. Read part one on bridging the digital–human divide. Thirty years ago, Richard…
One way to develop your ethical “muscles” is to exercise them. Using an ethics work-out gives you a routine to follow until you naturally follow your moral instincts in every instance. The “Principled Leaders” diagram below provides a quick reference for how to build an ethical habit. A principled leader is a person who puts…
Dr. Kenneth Goodpaster, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of St. Thomas One way to think through a decision is to use the “four avenues.” Each “avenue” provides a different way to think about an issue. By working through all avenues, the final outcome is more likely to be ethically strong. The four avenues are:…
While values are the foundation of ethical behavior, an ethical decision-making process lends clarity to difficult situations. Following the process guides decision-makers through problems to reach a workable solution. Using this model helps avoid unethical alternatives and unattractive consequences. Generally, a decision-making process should include the steps shown in the diagram below. Here are some…
Moral awareness is the first step along the pathway to consistent ethical behavior. It begins with an individual’s ability to detect a moral principle in danger or notice the violation of an ethical principle. Individuals who have strong moral awareness appreciate the ethical aspects of a decision that one must make.
Are you using your own judgment? Are you sure? Conformity bias refers to our tendency to take cues for proper behavior in most contexts from the actions of others rather than exercise our own independent judgment. This video shows how conformity bias works, and how to maintain independence in the face of the pressure to…
This video from Ethics Unwrapped introduces the idea of the “overconfidence bias.” You may have heard that most drivers rate their driving skill as above-average. The idea also applies to acting ethically. The overconfidence bias is our tendency to be more confident in our ability to act ethically than is objectively justified by our abilities…
In this edition of the bias series, we look at self-serving bias. It’s tempting to pick and choose information that props up our self-esteem. The self-serving bias causes us to see things in ways that support our best interests and our pre-existing points of view.
Everyone has biases, whether they consciously know it or not. Implicit bias exists when people unconsciously hold attitudes toward others or associate stereotypes with them. Implicit bias is an active area of research, and you can test your own biases after watching this video.
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