Psychology

Psychological traits and public attitudes towards abortion: the role of empathy, locus of control, and need for cognition

J. Cheng, P. Xu, et al.

This study delves into how psychological traits like empathy and locus of control shape public attitudes toward abortion, especially in the wake of the Roe v. Wade overturn. Conducted by Jiuqing Cheng, Ping Xu, and Chloe Thostenson, the research reveals intriguing correlations between these traits and abortion support in the U.S.

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Playback language: English

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Abstract

This study investigates the role of psychological traits (empathy, locus of control, need for cognition) in shaping public attitudes toward abortion in the U.S., considering the impact of the Roe v. Wade overturn. Using data from 294 U.S. adults via Amazon Mechanical Turk, the study found that empathy toward the pregnant woman positively correlated with abortion support, while empathy toward the unborn showed an inverse relationship. Internal locus of control was positively linked to abortion support, but external locus of control and need for cognition only correlated with attitudes toward elective abortions. These findings highlight the significant influence of psychological factors on abortion attitudes.

Publisher

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

Published On

Jan 02, 2024

Authors

Jiuqing Cheng, Ping Xu, Chloe Thostenson

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