Biological - Debate

Question 1

The Ethics of Neuroscience

Answer 1

> Understand consciousness
Treat criminal behaviour
Enhance neurological function
Improve marketing techniques

Question 2

Ethical - Understand Consciousness

Answer 2

Koubessi et al (2004)
* research on consciousness
* by using experiences of a 54 year old woman who suffered from severe epilepsy
* treated by placing an electrode that was electrically stimulated near the claustrum in her brain = stopped responding to any commands - when stimulation stopped she regained consciousness with no recollection of the event.

Help make decisions about patients in a vegetative state of whether to end their life or not based on the knowledge of whether they remain conscious.

Question 3

Not ethical - understand Consciousness

Answer 3

> brings the question of whether a person in a persistent vegetative state should have life-support withdrawn knowing that even though they are currently conscious that it might be regained.
Weakness to reliability -evidence from a case sudy of only one person who was suffering of epilepsy (abnormal brain)

Question 4

Ethical - Treat Criminal Behaviour,

Answer 4

• Can be benefitial for society - successfully applied to explain that criminal behaviour can be treated
• Believed criminal behaviour stems from abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters
• Cherek et al Investigated the levels of impulsivity and aggression in males with a history of criminal behaviour
• drug = decrease in impulsive responses and aggression compared to placebo
• benefit society as it would make it a safer place as well as allowing people with disorders to live a more ‘normal’ life and integrate into society.

Raine et al
* regions of the brains that were affected in criminals.
* evidence could be used to treat those with these brain differences before committing any crime.

Question 5

Not Ethical - Treat Criminal Behaviour

Answer 5

• argue that criminal behaviour result of social context.
• concern whether it is acceptable to include mandatory neurological interventions for prisoners as, according to Martha Farah (2004) it denies an individual’s freedom to express their own thoughts and personality.
• unethical to give a convicted criminal a choice between prison or medication as it gives them little choice as they would feel obliged to take the medication.

Raine
>could lead to a person being removed from society, given a treatment only based on the structure of their brain, or even wrongfully convicted of a crime

Question 6

Ethical - Enhance neurological function

Answer 6

• can be used to enhance neurological function
• used to improve abilities and performance of individuals while completing complex academic tasks.
• Cohen Kadosh et al - TDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) leads to many improvements - problem-solving, language, memory, and mathematics. = used to prepare for exams

Question 7

Not Ethical - Enhance Neurological Function

Answer 7

TDCS - ethical limitations
* no liscensing rules = used by a poorly qualified clinician - ineffective result and severe problems such as brain damage.
* not available everywhere = unfair some benefit
* ethically right? similar performance-enhancing substances have been banned in sport

Question 8

Ethical - Improve marketing skills

Answer 8

• positive impact on economy - applied to marketing techniques
• eye-tracking equipment to improve marketing techniques as it shows what catches a person’s eye when watching advertisments and shopping.
• This information can then be used to increase sales and profits.

Question 9

Not ethical - Improve marketing Techniques

Answer 9

Ethical issues to neuromarketing
* access to our inner thoughts and it is not obliged to abide by ethical codes of practice
* Wilson et al -neuromarketing research could manipulate our free will as advertisers for big brands could deliver individualized messages.

Question 10

Conclusion

Answer 10

• has many positive applications and can be very useful and effective
• gives us an insight to how the brain works and helps us understand it in order to explain the behaviour of people and treat them if necessary
• For example criminals.
• Can be used to enhance neurological function, and to help the economy by improving marketing techniques.

On the other hand:

• ethical issues - can deny an individual’s free will and the freedom to express themselves, for example if it was madatory for criminals to take drugs to be treated.
• gives insight to people’s personal thoughts for example when using neuromarketing, which can be unethical.