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Measuring Sensitivity to Conflicts of Interest: A Preliminary Test of Method

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Abstract

This study presents and develops test methods for assessing sensitivity to conflict of interest (COIsen). We are aware of no study assessing COIsen, but note that some popular methods for assessing ethical sensitivity and related constructs (which include COIsen) are flawed in that their presentation of stimulus material to subjects actually guides subjects to attend to ethical (or related) issues. The method tested here was designed to avoid this flaw. Using adaptations of two existing cases, a quota sample of 12 students was interviewed. Our method used funnel-sequenced, open-ended interviews that were audiotaped and transcribed, then subjected to a form of cognitive mapping. These maps revealed the presence of “indicators” of COIsen. We found that COIsen can be measured and that the global COIsen score generated by our method is able to reveal much variation across subjects, making it a worthwhile candidate for further consideration.

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Notes

  1. Many university and research institution COI policies refer to the management, reduction, or elimination of the conflict. The concept is also included in the federal regulations guiding such COI policies. See the revised COI policy for research funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (2011).

  2. The relationship between ethical sensitivity and COI sensitivity is that of a fairly close analog, sharing not only the same conceptual foundation but also a concern with matters of ethics/morality. Although COI sensitivity does have some conceptual overlap with some other constructs such as social sensitivity (Rothenberg 1970), rhetorical sensitivity (Hart et al. 1980), and rhetorical listening (Tompkins 2009) COIsen does not map as fully onto those constructs as it does to ethical sensitivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication (m/c 132), University of Illinois at Chicago, 1007 W. Harrison Street, Room 1140, Chicago, IL, 60607-7137, USA

    Rebecca Ann Lind

  2. Department of Communication Studies, Winona State University, PAC 204, Winona, MN, 55987, USA

    Tammy Swenson-Lepper

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  1. Rebecca Ann Lind
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  2. Tammy Swenson-Lepper
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Correspondence to Rebecca Ann Lind.

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Lind, R.A., Swenson-Lepper, T. Measuring Sensitivity to Conflicts of Interest: A Preliminary Test of Method. Sci Eng Ethics 19, 43–62 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-011-9319-6

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