Absolute versus relative values: effects on medical decisions and personality of patients and physicians.
BACKGROUND
Speculation suggests that health care workers and patients who believe in ethical values that do not change--absolute values--will respond differently to ethical problems and personality tests than those who affirm changing-relative values.


METHODS
We did a cross-sectional survey to investigate the effects of absolute vs relative values on (1) decision making concerning ethical dilemmas and (2) questionnaire assessments of hostility, forgiveness, and social desirability. Two groups of participants were medical/surgical inpatients (n = 60) at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center and practicing physicians (n = 73) in the larger Johnson City, Tennessee, area.


RESULTS
In both groups, relativists were more approving of birth control for sexually active single women, physician-assisted suicide, and abortion. For patients but not physicians, several indices of hostility were higher for relativists than absolutists. No overall group differences existed as a function of value type for forgiveness or social desirability scores. However, subgrouping by religious faith affected response pattern.


CONCLUSIONS
The absolute/relative value dichotomy predicted differences in approval ratings for both physicians and patients. Ethically sensitive health care and health care training should explicitly consider this dimension of personal values.
Neumann
J K
JK
James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, and the Department of Internal Medicine, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, Johnson City, Tenn, USA.
Olive
K E
KE
McVeigh
S D
SD
D000025:Abortion, Eugenic; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012945:Social Values; D017236:Suicide, Assisted; D013714:Tennessee