Ethical decision-making is affected by both cognitive and emotional factors; nevertheless, little research has been directed towards the impact of frustration in moral reasoning. We examined the impact of frustration in decision-making in response to both classical (Sacrificial) and real-world (Contemporary) moral dilemmas in two different studies (N = 328). The participants first took the Ethical Perspectives Scale (Diegel et al., 2024) and were then assigned to a frustrating anagram completion or control group. Next, they responded to ethical dilemmas and gave us data about personality traits, religious orientation, socioeconomic status, sex, age, and political orientation.
The results showed that frustration significantly reduced the ability of ethical perspectives to predict decision-making. Without frustration, Utilitarianism was a strong predictor of outcome-oriented decisions (p ≤ .01), while Rights and Common Good ethics were linked to deontological decision-making (p ≤ .01). However, under the influence of frustration, these effects disappeared (p ≥ .05), suggesting that emotional upset undermines moral consistency. Frustration also undermined the influence of Virtue and Care ethics (p ≤ .01), particularly under high-stakes conditions.
Later tests revealed correlations between ethical positions and personality traits. Both Care ethics and Virtue ethics showed significant relationships with higher religiosity levels (p ≤ .05), while Rights ethics was negatively related with religiosity (p ≤ .01). Politically, Virtue ethics was linked with conservative orientations, while Care ethics was linked with liberal orientations (p ≤ .05). Tests for personality factors showed Utilitarianism associated with low Openness (p = .002), while Virtue ethics was predictive of higher Openness (p = .043).
The findings highlight how frustration undermines moral reasoning, thus disrupting ethical frameworks in the decision-making process. This carries important implications for leadership, policy-making, and crisis situations where ethical decisions have to be made under high-stress conditions.

Many people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) are cared for by informal caregivers (Thompson et al. 2007). Caregivers can face challenges managing and treating symptoms owing to gaps in their dementia-related knowledge (Jorge et al., 2021). Prior work has found that practice testing enhances long-term retention of information (Agarwal et al., 2021). Practice testing followed by elaborative feedback also benefits learning, regardless of whether the retrieval attempt is successful or unsuccessful (Butler, 2008; Roediger & Butler, 2011). We examined whether practice testing with or without elaborative feedback improved caregivers’ learning of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Caregivers studied 12 categories of BPSD and then either restudied the material, took a practice test with no feedback, or took a practice test with elaborative feedback. We found that testing with feedback enhanced caregivers’ learning of BPSD more than testing with no feedback or restudying on both an immediate and delayed test. We also present characteristics of our sample.

Awareness and uptake of HIV-preventative medications in women remain low, which contributes to a high prevalence of cases in the southern United States. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an available and effective HIV prevention medication. However, it is not very well-known, particularly among women. This study aims to increase awareness and knowledge of PrEP through an educational model, which includes a pre-survey and a post-survey to assess changes in the participants’ understanding of the medication. Women were recruited through SONA, Mturk, and in-person recruitment methods, with a goal of N = 50 - 150. Data from the surveys about the women’s attitudes and knowledge of PrEP before and after the educational model will be analyzed using a paired samples t-test. We hypothesize that after viewing the PrEP & Women education module, participants’ knowledge and attitudes towards PrEP will change significantly. Specifically, we predict that after viewing the module, individuals’ PrEP attitudes will become more positive and their PrEP knowledge will increase. Overall, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of a PrEP education tool that can be utilized on a wider scale to increase PrEP knowledge and decrease negative attitudes/stigma.

Learning and remembering medications requires forming memory associations that older adults (65+ years old) tend to experience difficulty forming (e.g., Naveh-Benjamin, 2000). One way older adults can compensate for such memory deficits is to prioritize remembering more important information over less important information. With task experience, older adults can prioritize remembering important information as well as younger adults (e.g., Castel, McGillivray, & Friedman, 2012; McGillivray & Castel, 2017). We examined how much task experience is needed for older and younger adults to learn drug interactions and their side effects. Participants studied fictitious drug interactions with side effects that differed in severity (mild, moderate, severe) and took a cued recall test across three trials. Participants also completed measures of health knowledge and side effect knowledge to evaluate self-efficacy. Recall improved with task experience in both younger and older adults, and both age groups remembered severe side effects over mild and moderate side effects, which is consistent with prior work (e.g., Friedman et al., 2015). Younger adults remembered more than older adults, which provides insights to the cognitive differences between older and younger adults in their abilities to recall health information. Older adults scored higher than younger adults on the health knowledge measure, but there was no difference in side effect knowledge between age groups.

Abstract
Background. Understanding the motivations that drive individuals to pursue careers in helping professions is crucial for workforce recruitment, retention, and training, particularly in the child welfare sector. Despite the increasing demand for helping professionals, research on the factors influencing career decisions in this field remains limited. This qualitative study explores the motivations of individuals who become helping professionals, particularly those working with children and families affected by adversity.

Methods. The study included 398 helping professionals (M = 43.08 years, range = 22–70), with the majority identifying as female (87%) and white (80%). Participants represented various professional fields, including foster care and adoption (37%), clinical and counseling services (29%), education (16%), and juvenile justice (9%). Data were collected via Qualtrics surveys featuring open-ended questions, with one of them about career motivations (Why did you choose to be in a helping profession?). Thematic analysis was used to create a codebook and systematically analyze responses.

Results. Analysis identified five key themes underlying the motivations of helping professionals: Encouragement, Empowerment, Utilization of Own Experience, Inspiration, and Understanding. Encouragement involved fostering hope, recovery, prevention, connections, and growth. Empowerment reflected advocating for children, building trust, and amplifying voices. Utilization of Own Experience encompassed applying personal experience/trauma, empathy, and a helping mindset. Inspiration included passion, personal satisfaction, making a difference, and faith. Understanding captured the recognition of trauma’s impact and family influence in shaping individuals’ lives.

Conclusion. These findings offer valuable insights into the motivations that drive individuals to enter and remain in helping professions. By identifying core motivational factors, this study informs targeted recruitment strategies, supports retention efforts, and contributes to the development of training programs that align with professionals' values and career goals.