Faculty Sponsor: Robert Kabacoff
Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Abstract: There are many complex factors that come together to shape an individual’s view on abortion. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the gender of one’s child and one’s attitude towards abortion. Few existing studies have explored the specific relationship between the gender one’s child and attitude towards abortion, instead focusing on the gender of an individual’s child in relation to more general variables such as political ideology and empathy for feminist issues (Oswald & Powdthavee, 2010; Washington, 2008). In the wake of the controversial 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, abortion restrictions have been increasingly imposed across the country, which can be seen in the surge of statewide parental consent laws (Guttmacher, 2023). These laws, in which minors are required to get some degree of parental consent in order to receive an abortion, reveal a direct point of interest between parent and child in the question of abortion, underscoring the importance of exploring abortion attitudes within this dynamic which this study aims to do. Results revealed a significant association between the gender of one’s child and their stance on abortion if they had a daughter, both a son and a daughter, or neither yet no significant association between having a son and abortion attitudes. The respondent’s own sex did not moderate this interaction. These results may be of importance in further understanding the complex ways in which individuals form their opinions on the matter of abortion.
Alana-Penoyer-Dec-Final-QAC-Poster