Forced to be Right

In “Forced to be Free”, Neil Levy surveys the raft of documented decision-making biases that humans are heir to, and advances several bold proposals designed to enhance the patient's judgment. Gratefully, Levy is moved by the psychological research on judgment and decision-making that documents...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical ethics 2014-05, Vol.40 (5), p.303-304
Main Author: Trout, J D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Bioethics
Choice Behavior
Coercion
Cognition & reasoning
Commentaries
Comprehension
Criticism and interpretation
Decision making
Ethical aspects
Freedom
Health aspects
Humans
Informed Consent - ethics
Judgment
Medical ethics
Moral judgment
Pain
Paternalism
Patients
Personal Autonomy
Police
Police lineups
Politics
Proposals
Psychologists
Reasoning
Researchers
Scholars
Wellbeing
Citations: Items that cite this one
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Description
Summary:In “Forced to be Free”, Neil Levy surveys the raft of documented decision-making biases that humans are heir to, and advances several bold proposals designed to enhance the patient's judgment. Gratefully, Levy is moved by the psychological research on judgment and decision-making that documents people's inaccuracy when identifying courses of action will best promote their subjective well-being. But Levy is quick to favour the patient's present preferences, to ensure they get “final say” about their treatment. I urge the opposite inclination, raising doubts about whether the patient's “present preferences” are the best expression of their “final say”. When there is adequate evidence that people, by their own lights, overemphasize their present preferences about the future, we should carefully depreciate those preferences, in effect biasing them to make the right decision by their own lights.
ISSN:0306-6800
1473-4257
DOI:10.1136/medethics-2011-100426