Ethics and Decision Making

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Questions and Answers

What is the main principle of the totality of the circumstances approach?

Always prioritize the context over the people involved

Consider the whole picture when making a decision (correct)

Ignore the facts and rely on intuition

Focus on a single deciding factor

According to Mendelsohn (1998), what is the totality of the circumstances?

A single event that determines the outcome

A mathematical formula to determine guilt

The combination of facts, context, and people involved (correct)

The personal opinion of the judge

What does the totality of the circumstances approach aim to do?

Simplify the decision-making process

Consider only the most relevant factor

Ignore the ethical implications of the behavior

Draw a conclusion from the whole picture (correct)

What is NOT a consideration in the totality of the circumstances approach?

The personal bias of the judge Signup and view all the answers

Why is the totality of the circumstances approach important?

It helps to ensure a fair and informed decision Signup and view all the answers

What is human capital in the context of international flows?

The flow of people around the world through immigration, migration, and emigration Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a form of capital that flows between countries?

Intellectual capital Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary means by which political capital is exercised?

Through diplomacy, persuasion, and force of arms Signup and view all the answers

What is resource capital in the context of international flows?

The flow of natural resources, parts, and components Signup and view all the answers

How many principal forms of capital are mentioned?

Four Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for the pattern observed in kidney cancer incidence in US counties?

Small population size Signup and view all the answers

What is the likely explanation for the low incidence of kidney cancer in some rural counties?

Clean living of the rural lifestyle Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of System 2 in interpreting the pattern of kidney cancer incidence?

It retrieves facts and suggestions from associative memory Signup and view all the answers

What is the key factor that explains the pattern of kidney cancer incidence in rural counties?

Small population size Signup and view all the answers

What is the likely explanation for the high incidence of kidney cancer in some rural counties?

Poverty of the rural lifestyle Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between System 1 and System 2?

System 2 depends on facts retrieved from System 1 Signup and view all the answers

What is the main point of the example provided by Wainer and Zwerling?

Small population size can lead to misleading patterns Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the example provided by Wainer and Zwerling?

To demonstrate the importance of considering population size Signup and view all the answers

What is the main lesson to be learned from the discussion about epidemiology?

The difficult relationship between our mind and statistics Signup and view all the answers

What is System 1 good at?

Identifying causal connections between events Signup and view all the answers

Why do we tend to assume that high-incidence counties are different?

Because we think there must be a cause that explains the difference Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of random events?

They do not lend themselves to explanation Signup and view all the answers

What happens when you repeatedly sample from an urn with red and white marbles?

The outcome '2 red, 2 white' occurs more frequently than '4 red' or '4 white' Signup and view all the answers

What can be predicted with confidence?

The outcome of repeated sampling from an urn Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Totality of the Circumstances

The concept of totality of the circumstances implies that there is no single decisive factor in determining whether behavior is illegal or unethical.
Instead, the judge must consider multiple factors, including facts, context, and people involved.
This approach requires the judge to examine the whole picture, rather than relying on a single piece of evidence.
The totality of the circumstances encourages a more nuanced and comprehensive assessment of the situation.
This concept was first introduced by Mendelsohn in 1998.

Forms of Capital

There are four principal forms of capital that flow between countries.

Human Capital

Refers to the flow of people around the world through:
- Immigration
- Migration
- Emigration

Financial Capital

Involves the flow of money capital across world markets through:
- Overseas investment
- Credit
- Lending
- Aid

Resource Capital

Encompasses the flow of natural resources, parts, and components between companies and countries, including:
- Metals
- Minerals
- Lumber
- Energy
- Food products
- Microprocessors
- Auto parts

Political Capital

Concerns the flow of power and influence around the world using:
- Diplomacy
- Persuasion
- Aggression
- Force of arms
To protect the right or access of a country, world region, or political bloc to the other forms of capital.

The Law of Small Numbers

A study of kidney cancer incidence in 3,141 US counties reveals a pattern: counties with lowest incidence are mostly rural, sparsely populated, and located in traditionally Republican states.
The counties with highest incidence of kidney cancer also tend to be rural, sparsely populated, and located in traditionally Republican states.

System 1 and System 2 Thinking

System 2 thinking involves deliberate memory search and hypothesis formulation, which requires effort and is accompanied by physical responses like pupil dilation and increased heart rate.
System 1 thinking is automatic and effortless, and it searches for causal connections between events, sometimes leading to spurious conclusions.

Statistical Relationships vs. Causality

System 1 thinking is inept when faced with "merely statistical" facts, which change the probability of outcomes but do not cause them to happen.
Random events behave in a highly regular fashion when collected, but do not lend themselves to explanation.

The Urn Example

Imagine an urn filled with equal numbers of red and white marbles, with a patient person or robot drawing 4 marbles, recording the number of red balls, and repeating the process many times.
The outcome "2 red, 2 white" occurs (almost exactly) 6 times as often as the outcome "4 red" or "4 white", which is a mathematical fact.
Repeated sampling from an urn can be predicted with confidence, just like the outcome of hitting an egg with a hammer.

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Description

This quiz assesses your understanding of the concept of 'totality of the circumstances' in decision making, considering multiple factors to determine ethical behavior. Learn how to evaluate context, facts, and people to make informed decisions.