Chapter 2 Vocabulary

Front 1

autonomy (or self-determination)

Back 1

The word autonomy comes from the Greek words auto (self) and nomos (governance). It is generally understood as the capacity to be one's own person, to make decisions based on one's own reasons and motives, not manipulated or dictated to by external forces.

Front 2

beneficence

Back 2

Refers to the acts health care practitioners perform to help people stay healthy or recover from an illness.

Front 3

categorical imperative

Back 3

This principle means that there are no exceptions (categorical) from the rule (imperative). The right action is one based on a determined principle, regardless of outcome.

Front 4

confidentiality

Back 4

The act of holding information in confidence, not to be released to unauthorized individuals.

Front 5

deontological (or duty-oriented) theory

Back 5

Focuses on the essential rightness or wrongness of an act, not the consequences of the act.

Front 6

justice

Back 6

What is due an individual.

Front 7

needs-based motivation:

Back 7

Human behavior is based on specific human needs that must often be met in a specific order. Abraham Maslow is the best-known psychologist for this theory.

Front 8

nonmaleficence

Back 8

As paraphrased from the Hippocratic oath, means the duty to “do no harm.”

Front 9

principle of utility

Back 9

Requires that the rule used to make a decision bring about positive results when generalized to a wide variety of situations.

Front 10

role fidelity

Back 10

All health care practitioners have a specific scope of practice, for which they are licensed, certified, or registered, and from which the law says they may not deviate.

Front 11

consequence-oriented (or teleological)

Back 11

theories Consequence-oriented or teleological theories judge the rightness of a decision based on the outcome or predicted outcome of the decision.

Front 12

utilitarianism

Back 12

A person makes value decisions based on results or a rule that will produce the greatest balance of good over evil, everyone considered.

Front 13

veracity

Back 13

Truth telling.

Front 14

virtue ethics

Back 14

Focuses on the traits, characteristics, and virtues that a moral person should have.