Applied Ethics Student Questionnaire 450-A

Please indicate your current status for the semester.

About how many college credit hours have you earned so far?

Read the following short scenario.  Then select the response that best describes your views.

A food company discovered a formula for children’s orange juice that contains water, sugar, Vitamin C, and artificial coloring. It is much less expensive to produce than pure orange juice and its use will help the company to be more competitive in the marketplace. The president of the company refused to market the product unless it contained at least 10 percent pure orange juice. The real juice was added and the product marketed under the name Purity Orange Juice. It was a great success and sales were even better than anticipated.

Read the following short scenario.  Then select the response that best describes your views.

ABC Insurance Company served the inner-city area of a large western city with homeowners insurance. Recently, because of civil unrest, payment of claims exceeded estimates and the company found itself in the position of having to substantially reduce the dividend payment to its shareholders. The research department suggested the company cancel all policies in the inner city area and begin writing policies in the more affluent subdivisions of the city.

Read the following short scenario.  Then select the response that best describes your views.

Cicely is a reporter for the local newspaper.  She wrote a positive human interest story about the mayor visiting an elementary school and reading stories to the children.  However, when her editor sent the story back to her it looked very different.  Now the story is critical of the mayor for wasting his time with unimportant public appearances while urgent city business goes undone.  The editor told her that the story was changed because the newspaper's editorial board favors a different candidate in the next mayoral election.

Read the following short scenario.  Then select the response that best describes your views.

Several months ago, Marion purchased a two-chair, unisex hair salon in a nice area of the city. Business was bad even though Marion distributed flyers to the houses surrounding her shop and advertised in the local paper. The few customers who did come in were local people from the neighborhood and they shared the local gossip with Marion while she worked on their hair. To keep her customers entertained, Marion began repeating to other customers the stories, tidbits and gossip she was being told. In a matter of months, Marion 's telephone was ringing off the hook with people calling for appointments. Business improved, Marion prospered, and the new clients were entertained by the “dirt” being dished about others in the neighborhood.

Read the following short scenario.  Then select the response that best describes your views.

Will has to write a research paper for his Government class.  He waited too long to get started.  Now it's due tomorrow and he hasn't even decided on a topic.  A friend showed him a website where he can buy a research paper that is promised to get an "A."  Will goes on the website, pays $20, and downloads the paper.  He inserts a couple of spelling errors (for realism), puts his name on it, and turns it in as his own.