Research
See a recent Digital Society article about our exploratory approach to research:
MyBioethics: How Ed-Tech Enables Discovery-Driven Empirical Bioethics Research
Experimental
MyBioethics application aims to teach bioethics to all those interested in learning more about real bioethical challenges. To generate data on the app’s potential benefits to the users, we empirically study how the use of the app impacts users’ deliberative and moral competencies. In our experimental research setting, we will study whether using the app increases users’ ability to justify their decisions in moral dilemmas, search for the common good, and recognize various ethical principles related to moral dilemmas. We will also make various changes to our research setting to study the impact of different design choices.
In-App
MyBioethics application has built-in research capabilities to advance the empirical exploration of moral intuition and judgment formation. With the help of selected research instruments, we work to uncover interesting connections between relevant psychosocial constructs and observed trends in the dilemma answers. Review HERE.
UPDATES ON DILEMMA VOTES AND OTHER RESEARCH FINDINGS
Research findings
The surveys listed below can be found in the application. Our users can utilize these for ethical self-reflection while anonymously contributing to a new form of empirical ethics research.
So far, three of our surveys, Existential Quest, Need for Cognition, and Nature Relatedness have received over 100 entries. This sample already gives us an idea of the score distribution and enables us to make preliminary guesses about connections to specific ethical dilemmas.
Existential Quest
Openness to changes in one’s worldview
Items: 8
Scale: 0-48
Average score:
32.07 Points (of 176 submissions)
(N=135)
Need for Cognition
Tendency to engage in effortful thinking
Items: 6
Scale: 0-24
Average score:
16.95 Points (of 126 submissions)
(N=107)
Need for Affect
Tendency to approach or avoid powerful emotions
Items: 10
Scale: 0-30 (x2)
Factors: Approach, Avoidance
Average scores:
24.92 Points (of 71 submissions)
13.34 Points (of 68 submissions)
Nature Relatedness
Sense of connection with nature
Items: 6
Scale: 0-24
Average score:
16.45 Points (of 165 submissions)
(N=81)
Life Orientation
Dispositional optimism or pessimism
Items: 6
Scale: 0-24
Average score:
14.67 Points (of 51 submissions)
More coming soon…
More findings will be released once a statistically significant number of entries has been submitted and we have sufficiently analyzed the data. Every new answer helps to improve the results. Already, we have hundreds of registered users from 55 countries; these are shown below.
Update sign-up
If you wish to stay up to date on the experimental and/or in-app research attached to MyBioethics you can write your email address in the field below to get semi-annual updates and occasional invites to virtual presentations. All previous update posts can be found below. You can ask to be removed from the email list at any time.
To request restricted access to the anonymous database stewarded by the research team for a legitimate study purpose, please contact us through support.
Our warmest thanks!
We want to express our warmest thanks to all our research collaborators. You can also review our team, advisors, and sponsors here.
