Exploring How Accountability Affects the Medical Decisions We Make for Other People.

ABSTRACT: In the event that a patient has lost their decision-making capacity due to illness or injury, a surrogate is often appointed to do so on their behalf. Research has shown that people take less risk when making treatment decisions for other people than they do for themselves. This has been discussed as surrogates employing greater caution for others given the accountability they are faced with. We tested the prediction that making accountability salient reduces risk-taking for others relative to the self by manipulating the information shown to participants while they made treatment choices. One group was asked to focus on the consequences for the recipient's family, another on the legal implications of their decisions, and another was not given additional information. Participants reduced t

SUBMITTER: Batteux E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6375882 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature