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Wester Ross student from Gairloch studying psychology at University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) investigates decision-making during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic


By Louise Glen

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Charlotte Kelman.
Charlotte Kelman.

A psychology student from Gairloch is trying to understand the decisions people have been making during the coronavirus pandemic.

Charlotte Kelman (22) says understanding why people’s normal behaviour may have changed – including why so many more reports may have been made to police about, say, a close friend breaking pandemic restrictions – could improve public policy in the future.

Ms Kelman is in her fourth year of study at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).

She said: “The study is investigating moral reasoning during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Moral reasoning is the process through which people attempt to determine right from wrong within a situation or event.

One example she gives is deciding if you should inform authorities about the behaviour of those close to you when they are not sticking to pandemic restrictions.

“During the ongoing pandemic, health organisations and medical communities aimed to identify priorities to prepare and plan control strategies,” she said.

“At the same time, they have also observed new moral dilemmas in the public sphere which have pitted the needs of the many against the few.

"This has presented myself, in the research community, with a rare opportunity to investigate moral reasoning within a pandemic.

"I wanted to do this because everybody experiences moral dilemmas.”

You can take part in Ms Kelman's study here


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