File(s) under permanent embargo
Autonomy and coercion in academic "cognitive enhancement" using methylphenidate: Perspectives of key stakeholders
journal contribution
posted on 2009-11-01, 00:00 authored by Cynthia ForliniCynthia Forlini, E RacineThere is mounting evidence that methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin) is being used by healthy college students to improve concentration, alertness, and academic performance. One of the key concerns associated with such use of pharmaceuticals is the degree of freedom individuals have to engage in or abstain from cognitive enhancement (CE). From a pragmatic perspective, careful examination of the ethics of acts and contexts in which they arise includes considering coercion and social pressures to enhance cognition. We were interested in understanding how university students, parents of university students, and healthcare providers viewed autonomy and coercion in CE using MPH. We found that perspectives converged on the belief that CE is a matter of personal and individual choice. Perspectives also converged on the existence of tremendous social pressures to perform and succeed. Parents emphasized personal responsibility and accountability for CE choices, and expressed feelings of worry, sadness and fear about CE. Students emphasized the importance of personal integrity in CE, expressed tolerance for personal choices of others, and highlighted the challenge that CE poses to maintaining one's personal integrity. Healthcare providers emphasized the health consequences of CE. These results illustrate: (1) the importance of understanding how context is viewed in relation to perspectives on autonomous choice; (2) the limitations of individualistic libertarian approaches that do not consider social context; and (3) the ethical implications of public health interventions in a value-laden debate where perspectives diverge. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
History
Journal
NeuroethicsVolume
2Issue
3Pagination
163 - 177Publisher
Springer, BerlinPublisher DOI
ISSN
1874-5490eISSN
1874-5504Publication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalUsage metrics
Categories
Keywords
Social SciencesScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineEthicsMedical EthicsSocial Sciences, BiomedicalSocial Sciences - Other TopicsBiomedical Social SciencesCognitive enhancementAutonomyNeuroethicsPublic understandingNeuropharmaceuticalsPRESCRIPTION STIMULANTSCOLLEGE-STUDENTSCOSMETIC NEUROLOGYNONMEDICAL USEPREVALENCESAMPLEMISUSEABUSEUNDERGRADUATEBIOETHICSPhilosophy
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC