Faculty Publications

Title

Relations of personality factors and student nurses' attitudes toward abortion

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Psychological Reports

Volume

35

Issue

2

First Page

927

Last Page

931

Abstract

The present study, conducted just prior to the 1973 U. S. Supreme Court decision on abortion, focused on effects of personality characteristics and one health profession choice (student nursing vs a liberal arts major) upon attitudes toward abortion. Subjects were 96 students from an introductory psychology class, 49 student nurses, and 46 liberal arts majors. It was predicted that student nurses would be more negative toward legalizing abortion than would liberal arts majors. Results supported this prediction (p<.025). Personality characteristics were assessed by the 16 PF (Cattell, Eber, and Tatsuoka) and were analyzed to yield 4 second order factors: anxiety vs adjustment, extraversion vs introversion, subduedness vs independence, and tenderminded emotionality vs alert poise. Anxiety, introversion, subduedness, and tendermindedness were all expected to predispose subjects to be more against abortion than the other halves of these dichotomies. Predictions were supported (ps from .05 to .025) for all but anxiety.

Original Publication Date

1-1-1974

DOI of published version

10.2466/pr0.1974.35.2.927

Link to Full Text

Comments?

Share

COinS