title: Field and Experience Influences on Ethical Decision-Making in the Sciences.
abstract: Differences across fields and experience levels are frequently considered in discussions of ethical decision-making and ethical behavior. In the present study, doctoral students in the health, biological, and social sciences completed measures of ethical decision-making. The effects of field and level of experience with respect to ethical decision-making, metacognitive reasoning strategies, social-behavioral responses, and exposure to unethical events were examined. Social and biological scientists performed better than health scientists with respect to ethical decision-making. Furthermore, the ethical decision-making of health science students decreased as experience increased. Moreover, these effects appeared to be linked to the specific strategies underlying participants' ethical decision-making. The implications of these findings for ethical decision-making are discussed.
authors.affiliation: The University of Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mumford
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Connelly
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Lynn D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Devenport
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Antes
authors.forename: Ryan P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Jason H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Ethan P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Waples