Biases in Ethical Decision Making among University Faculty

Abstract

Over the years, cognitive biases have been examined throughout the decision-making literature, but little work has investigated the cognitive biases operating in ethical decision making. The present effort explores a taxonomy of biases through interviews with university faculty members. Additionally, this study identifies the psychological processes giving rise to these biases in ethical decision making. Results suggest that the biases listed in the taxonomy are indeed operating in the ethical decision making of university faculty. Implications of these results are discussed.

Keywords:

• biases
• ethical decision making
• ethics education
• faculty

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank T. H. Lee Williams for his contribution to the present effort. Parts of this work were sponsored by Grant No. R21 ESS021075-01 from the National Institutes of Health, Michael D. Mumford, Principle Investigator.