SURVEY OF BIOETHICAL ISSUES
by Jon Fiorella
To The Teacher
The following survey may be useful for those people who are
currently teaching a bioethics component to their biology course or an
entire bioethics program. I have found it works best if the survey is
presented to the students on the first day. If the students are
confused by the wording or meaning of a statement have them check off
Not Sure. Dont explain the meaning of the statement at that time.
After you have finished the unit or entire course, give them a clean
survey and have them fill it out again. Next compare thepre and
post results. Both you and they will probably be quite surprised by
the movement in their thinking over time. Keep in mind that a change in
attitudes is what education is all about.
The Survey
The following statements deal with bioethical issues that will be
discussed in our class during the year. After each statement, please
check the appropriate box that indicates your feelings on the subject.
AGREE NOT SURE DISAGREE
1. The allocation of scarce medical resources
is a necessity. 1._______ _______ _______
2. Animal experimentation is needed if
medicine is going to advance. 2._______ _______ _______
3. Genetic counseling should be a requirement
for all prospective parents. 3._______ _______ _______
4. Genetic screening will result in various
new types of discrimination in society. 4._______ _______ _______
5. The advancement of science & technology
should be controlled by society. 5._______ _______ _______
6. Organ transplants will become more common
as better anti-rejection drugs become
available. 6._______ _______ _______
7. Living wills are acceptable to express an
incompetent patients desires. 7._______ _______ _______
8. A health care proxy is better than having
a living will. 8._______ _______ _______
9. Defective newborns should be allowed to
die if the parents decide this is best. 9._______ _______ _______
10. Assisted suicide is an acceptable option. 10._______ _______ _______
11. Euthanasia should be allowed. 11._______ _______ _______
12. Research using fetal tissue is acceptable. 12._______ _______ _______
13. Surrogate motherhood should be
outlawed. 13._______ _______ _______
14. The mapping of the human genome will
benefit mankind. 14._______ _______ _______
15. Nutrition & hydration should be considered
extraordinary care for the comatose
patient. 15._______ _______ _______
16. A person should be considered dead
when their brain waves cease. 16._______ _______ _______
17. The genetic engineering of new strains
of plants and animals is acceptable. 17._______ _______ _______
18. Organs for transplantation are in short
supply. Therefore, it should be legal
to buy and sell them. 18._______ _______ _______
19. Reproductive technologies create more
problems than they solve. 19._______ _______ _______
20. Sex selection of offspring should not be
allowed. 20._______ _______ _______
21. The courts should not be called upon to
settle bioethical issues. 21._______ _______ _______
22. We should encourage research
on the cloning of humans. 22._______ _______ _______
23. Bioethics should be a required course
in high school. 23._______ _______ _______
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