Wagner Katy, Maslen Hannah, Oakley Justin, Savulescu Julian
a Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford, and Faculty of Nursing, Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University.
b Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford.
AJOB Empir Bioeth. 2018 Jan-Mar;9(1):29-38. doi: 10.1080/23294515.2018.1424268. Epub 2018 Feb 8.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is an experimental brain stimulation technology that may one day be used to enhance the cognitive capacities of children. Discussion about the ethical issues that this would raise has rarely moved beyond expert circles. However, the opinions of the wider public can lead to more democratic policy decisions and broaden academic discussion of this issue.
We performed a quantitative survey of members of the U.S. public. A between-subjects design was employed, where conditions varied based on the trait respondents considered for enhancement.
There were 227 responses included for analysis. Our key finding was that the majority were unwilling to enhance their child with tDCS. Respondents were most reluctant to enhance traits considered fundamental to the self (such as motivation and empathy). However, many respondents may give in to implicit coercion to enhance their child in spite of an initial reluctance. A ban on tDCS was not supported if it were to be used safely for the enhancement of mood or mathematical ability. Opposition to such a ban may be related to the belief that tDCS use would not represent cheating or violate authenticity (as it relates to achievements rather than identity).
The wider public appears to think that crossing the line from treatment to enhancement with tDCS would not be in a child's best interests. However, an important alternative interpretation of our results is that lay people may be willing to use enhancers that matched their preference for "natural" enhancers. A ban on the safe use of tDCS for enhancing nonfundamental traits would be unlikely to garner public support. Nonetheless, it could become important to regulate tDCS in order to prevent misuse on children, because individuals reluctant to enhance may be likely to give in to implicit coercion to enhance their child.
经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）是一种实验性脑刺激技术，未来某天可能用于提高儿童的认知能力。关于这一技术可能引发的伦理问题的讨论，很少超出专家圈子。然而，更广泛公众的意见能够促成更民主的政策决策，并拓宽对此问题的学术讨论。
我们对美国公众进行了定量调查。采用组间设计，条件根据受访者考虑用于增强的特质而有所不同。
共有227份回复纳入分析。我们的主要发现是，大多数人不愿意用tDCS来增强自己孩子的能力。受访者最不愿意增强那些被认为对自我至关重要的特质（如动机和同理心）。然而，尽管一开始有所抵触，但许多受访者可能会屈从于隐性压力而增强孩子的能力。如果tDCS能安全用于改善情绪或数学能力，就不会得到对其禁令的支持。对这种禁令的反对可能与认为使用tDCS不代表作弊或不违反真实性（与成就而非身份有关）的信念有关。
更广泛的公众似乎认为，用tDCS从治疗跨越到增强对孩子并非最有利。然而，对我们结果的另一种重要解释是，外行人可能愿意使用符合他们对“自然”增强剂偏好的增强手段。禁止安全使用tDCS来增强非基本特质不太可能获得公众支持。尽管如此，为防止对儿童的滥用而对tDCS进行监管可能变得很重要，因为不愿增强孩子能力的人可能会屈从于隐性压力来增强孩子的能力。
