Session: Navigating Stigma and (Mis)Perception in Public Discourse
Beyond effects on the users: the US public thinks neuroenhancement policy should consider justice and societal impact
Friday, October 13, 2023
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM ET
Location: Atlantic (Third Floor)
While over 100 empirical bioethics studies focused on neuroenhancement, few studies examined views about policy. Institutions (e.g., government, universities) considering how to weigh competing values in deciding whether to allow neuroenhancers would benefit from understanding public perspectives. We examined how much frequently discussed enhancement effects (e.g., effects on equality) affect public support for allowing neuroenhancers. We designed a discrete choice experiment survey, which was disseminated among a constructed representative sample of the US adult public recruited through mTurk in 2022. Benefits to users and risks of serious side effects had the largest effect on participants’ (n=927) decision to allow neuroenhancers. For example, participants were 5x less likely to think neuroenhancers with risks of significant side effects should be allowed compared to enhancers without risks. Effects on societal well-being, equality in society, and mild side effects had moderate effects on participants’ support for allowing neuroenhancers. For example, participants were around half as likely to allow enhancers with a negative effect on societal well-being and about 40% less likely to allow enhancers that worsen inequality, compared to enhancers without such effects. Participants were slightly (10%) less likely to allow enhancers that reduce users’ authenticity. The institution regulating neuroenhancers and neuroenhancers providing users with an unfair advantage did not affect participants’ decisions. This study suggests that the public believes governments and other institutions should not just consider the risks and benefits of neuroenhancers for users, but also effects on justice and societal well-being.
Xiaobai Li – Statistics – NIH; Scott Kim – Bioethics – NIH; Christine Grady – Bioethics – NIH