The rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.

Cognitive enhancement (CE) is the pharmaceutical augmentation of mental abilities (e.g., learning or memory) without medical necessity. This topic has recently attracted widespread attention in scientific and social circles. However, knowledge regarding the mechanisms that underlie the decision to u...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Sebastian Sattler, Carsten Sauer, Guido Mehlkop, Peter Graeff
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/43d819f014c1439a9f1b27517a2aba41
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:43d819f014c1439a9f1b27517a2aba41
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:43d819f014c1439a9f1b27517a2aba412021-11-18T07:37:23ZThe rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0068821https://doaj.org/article/43d819f014c1439a9f1b27517a2aba412013-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/23874778/?tool=EBIhttps://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203Cognitive enhancement (CE) is the pharmaceutical augmentation of mental abilities (e.g., learning or memory) without medical necessity. This topic has recently attracted widespread attention in scientific and social circles. However, knowledge regarding the mechanisms that underlie the decision to use CE medication is limited. To analyze these decisions, we used data from two online surveys of randomly sampled university teachers (N = 1,406) and students (N = 3,486). Each respondent evaluated one randomly selected vignette with regard to a hypothetical CE drug. We experimentally varied the characteristics of the drugs among vignettes and distributed them among respondents. In addition, the respondent's internalization of social norms with respect to CE drug use was measured. Our results revealed that students were more willing to enhance cognitive performance via drugs than university teachers, although the overall willingness was low. The probability of side effects and their strength reduced the willingness to use CE drugs among students and university teachers, whereas higher likelihoods and magnitudes of CE increased this propensity. In addition, the internalized norm against CE drug use influenced decision making: Higher internalization decreased the willingness to use such medications. Students' internalized norms more strongly affected CE abstinence compared with those of university teachers. Furthermore, internalized norms negatively interacted with the instrumental incentives for taking CE medication. This internalization limited the influence of and deliberation on instrumental incentives. This study is the first to provide empirical evidence regarding the importance of social norms and their influence on rational decision making with regard to CE. We identified previously undiscovered decision-making patterns concerning CE. Thus, this study provides insight into the motivators and inhibitors of CE drug use. These findings have implications for contending with CE behavior by highlighting the magnitude of potential side effects and by informing the debate regarding the ethics of CE use.Sebastian SattlerCarsten SauerGuido MehlkopPeter GraeffPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 7, p e68821 (2013)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Sebastian Sattler Carsten Sauer Guido Mehlkop Peter Graeff The rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.
description	Cognitive enhancement (CE) is the pharmaceutical augmentation of mental abilities (e.g., learning or memory) without medical necessity. This topic has recently attracted widespread attention in scientific and social circles. However, knowledge regarding the mechanisms that underlie the decision to use CE medication is limited. To analyze these decisions, we used data from two online surveys of randomly sampled university teachers (N = 1,406) and students (N = 3,486). Each respondent evaluated one randomly selected vignette with regard to a hypothetical CE drug. We experimentally varied the characteristics of the drugs among vignettes and distributed them among respondents. In addition, the respondent's internalization of social norms with respect to CE drug use was measured. Our results revealed that students were more willing to enhance cognitive performance via drugs than university teachers, although the overall willingness was low. The probability of side effects and their strength reduced the willingness to use CE drugs among students and university teachers, whereas higher likelihoods and magnitudes of CE increased this propensity. In addition, the internalized norm against CE drug use influenced decision making: Higher internalization decreased the willingness to use such medications. Students' internalized norms more strongly affected CE abstinence compared with those of university teachers. Furthermore, internalized norms negatively interacted with the instrumental incentives for taking CE medication. This internalization limited the influence of and deliberation on instrumental incentives. This study is the first to provide empirical evidence regarding the importance of social norms and their influence on rational decision making with regard to CE. We identified previously undiscovered decision-making patterns concerning CE. Thus, this study provides insight into the motivators and inhibitors of CE drug use. These findings have implications for contending with CE behavior by highlighting the magnitude of potential side effects and by informing the debate regarding the ethics of CE use.
format	article
author	Sebastian Sattler Carsten Sauer Guido Mehlkop Peter Graeff
author_facet	Sebastian Sattler Carsten Sauer Guido Mehlkop Peter Graeff
author_sort	Sebastian Sattler
title	The rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.
title_short	The rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.
title_full	The rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.
title_fullStr	The rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.
title_full_unstemmed	The rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.
title_sort	rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.
publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate	2013
url	https://doaj.org/article/43d819f014c1439a9f1b27517a2aba41
work_keys_str_mv	AT sebastiansattler therationaleforconsumingcognitiveenhancementdrugsinuniversitystudentsandteachers AT carstensauer therationaleforconsumingcognitiveenhancementdrugsinuniversitystudentsandteachers AT guidomehlkop therationaleforconsumingcognitiveenhancementdrugsinuniversitystudentsandteachers AT petergraeff therationaleforconsumingcognitiveenhancementdrugsinuniversitystudentsandteachers AT sebastiansattler rationaleforconsumingcognitiveenhancementdrugsinuniversitystudentsandteachers AT carstensauer rationaleforconsumingcognitiveenhancementdrugsinuniversitystudentsandteachers AT guidomehlkop rationaleforconsumingcognitiveenhancementdrugsinuniversitystudentsandteachers AT petergraeff rationaleforconsumingcognitiveenhancementdrugsinuniversitystudentsandteachers
_version_	1718423155802898432

The rationale for consuming cognitive enhancement drugs in university students and teachers.

Ejemplares similares