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
Recommended Citation
Jones, J. M., "Relations of personality factors and student nurses' attitudes toward abortion" (1974). Faculty Publications. 5115.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/facpub/5115