Making Professional Decisions in Research: Measurement and Key Predictors.
The professional decision-making in research (PDR) measure was administered to 400 National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded and industry-funded investigators, along with measures of cynicism, moral disengagement, compliance disengagement, impulsivity, work stressors, knowledge of responsible conduct of research (RCR), and socially desirable response tendencies. Negative associations were found for the PDR and measures of cynicism, moral disengagement, and compliance disengagement, while positive associations were found for the PDR and RCR knowledge and positive urgency, an impulsivity subscale. PDR scores were not related to socially desirable responding, or to measures of work stressors and the remaining impulsivity subscales. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, lower moral disengagement scores, higher RCR knowledge, and identifying the United States as one's nation of origin emerged as key predictors of stronger performance on the PDR. The implications of these findings for understanding the measurement of decision-making in research and future directions for research and RCR education are discussed.
a Division of General Medical Sciences , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis , Missouri , USA.
Alison L
AL
Antes
b Department of Psychiatry , Saint Louis University School of Medicine , St. Louis , Missouri , USA.|c Department of Psychology , Saint Louis University , St. Louis , Missouri , USA.
John T
JT
Chibnall
a Division of General Medical Sciences , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis , Missouri , USA.
Kari A
KA
Baldwin
b Department of Psychiatry , Saint Louis University School of Medicine , St. Louis , Missouri , USA.
Raymond C
RC
Tait
c Department of Psychology , Saint Louis University , St. Louis , Missouri , USA.
Jillon S
JS
Vander Wal
a Division of General Medical Sciences , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis , Missouri , USA.
James M
JM
DuBois
D000328:Adult; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000941:ethics*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009014:Morals; D011361:Professional Competence; D011594:Psychometrics; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000941:ethics* / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities / Q000941:ethics
Assessment; RCR education and instruction; decision-making; measurement; professionalism; research ethics; research integrity; responsible conduct of research