Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Complexity in Attitudes Toward Abortion Access: Results from Two Studies

  • Published:
Sexuality Research and Social Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

State governments in the US continue to pass legislation restricting access to abortion, suggesting that public opinion supports increased restriction. Research assessing the extent to which people’s abortion opinions are complex and nuanced (i.e., people’s opinions deviate from strictly pro-choice/pro-life stances) is lacking. Using an explanatory, sequential mixed-methods research design, the current study explores the complexity in people’s abortion opinions via two studies. Study 1 demonstrates the need for a more nuanced understanding of abortion attitudes, while Study 2 provides an initial assessment of potential complexity in people’s attitudes toward abortion. In Study 1, data from the General Social Survey (n = 1572) were used to examine responses to six abortion scenarios and assess demographic characteristics predictive of abortion opinions and complexity. In Study 2, surveys were administered to college students (n = 483) residing in politically conservative states asking about abortion self-identification and circumstances under which women should/should not have access. Data were analyzed using an inductive coding approach. According to Study 1, education, religious affiliation, living in a rural setting, and political affiliation were significantly related to abortion opinions and abortion complexity. According to Study 2, participants’ responses ranged widely. Pro-choice and pro-life identifying individuals cited numerous circumstances under which they believed women should/should not have access to abortion. Findings suggest that abortion opinions are highly complex and contextual. Although most recent legislation regarding abortion restricts and/or eliminates access, the majority of individuals remain somewhat or mostly in favor of access.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acton, J. (2013. The problem with pro-choice rhetoric. Harvard political review. Retrieved from: http://harvardpolitics.com/united-states/the-problem-with-pro-choice-rhetoric/

  • Adamczyk, A. (2008). The effects of religious contextual norms, structural constraints, and personal religiosity on abortion decisions. Social Science Research, 37, 657–672.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adams, G. D. (1997). Abortion: Evidence of an issue evolution. American Journal of Political Science, 41, 718–737.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bahr, S. J., & Marcos, A. C. (2003). Cross-cultural attitudes toward abortion: Greeks verses Americans. Journal of Family Issues, 24, 402–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banerjee, M., Capozzoli, M., McSweeney, L., & Sinha, D. (1999). Beyond kappa: A review of interrater agreement measures. Canadian Journal of Statistics, 27, 3–23. https://doi.org/10.2307/3315487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartkowski, J. P., Ramos-Wada, A. I., Ellison, C. G., & Acevedo, G. A. (2012). Faith, race-ethnicity, and public policy preferences: Religious schemas and abortion attitudes among US Latinos. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 51, 343–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biggs, M. A., Gould, H., & Foster, D. G. (2013). Understanding why women seek abortions in the US. BMC Women's Health, 13, 1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boonstra, H. D. (2016). Abortion in the lives of women struggling financially: Why insurance coverage matters. Retrieved from https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2016/07/abortion-lives-women-struggling-financially-why-insurance-coverage-matters. Published July 14, 2016. Accessed June 12, 2017.

  • Bowman, K., & Sims, H. (2017). AEI [American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research] public opinion studies: Attitudes about abortion. Retrieved from: http://www.aei.org/publication/aei-public-opinion-study-attitudes-about-abortion-2017/

  • Bumpass, L. L. (1997). The measurement of public opinion on abortion: The effects of survey design. Family Planning Perspectives, 29, 177–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., Gutmann, M. L., & Hanson, W. E. (2003). Advanced mixed methods research designs. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (pp. 209–240). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • di Mauro, D., & Joffe, C. (2007). The religious right and the reshaping of sexual policy: An examination of reproductive rights and sexuality education. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 4, 67–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, M. A. (2003). Authoritative knowledge and single women’s unintentional pregnancies, abortions, adoption, and single motherhood: Social stigma and structural violence. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 17, 322–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finer, L. B., & Zolna, M. R. (2016). Declines in unintended pregnancy in the United States, 2008–2011. New England Journal of Medicine, 374, 843–852.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finer, L. B., Frohwirth, L. F., Dauphinee, L. A., Singh, S., & Moore, A. M. (2005). Reasons US women have abortions: Quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37, 110–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glander, S. S., Moore, M. L., Michielutte, R., & Parsons, L. H. (1998). The prevalence of domestic violence among women seeking abortion. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 91, 1002–1006.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. New York: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, D., Holt, K., Peña, M., Lara, D., Veatch, M., Córdova, D., et al. (2010). Self-induction of abortion among women in the United States. Reproductive Health Matters, 18, 136–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guttmacher Institute. (2016). States enacted nearly as many new abortion restrictions in the last five years as in the previous 15 years. Retrieved from https://www.guttmacher.org/infographic/2016/states-enacted-nearly-many-new-abortion-restrictions-last-five-years-previous-15.

  • Hans, J. D., & Kimberly, C. (2014). Abortion attitudes in context: A multidimensional vignette approach. Social Science Research, 48, 145–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hess, J. A., & Rueb, J. D. (2005). Attitudes toward abortion, religion, and party affiliation among college students. Current Psychology, 24, 24–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-005-1002-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmann, J. P., & Johnson, S. M. (2005). Attitudes toward abortion among religious traditions in the United States: Change or continuity? Sociology of Religion, 66, 161–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ivankova, N. V., Creswell, J. W., & Stick, S. L. (2006). Using mixed-methods sequential explanatory design: From theory to practice. Field Methods, 18(1), 3–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jagannathan, R. (2001). Relying on surveys to understand abortion behavior: Some cautionary evidence. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 1826–1831.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jelen, T. G., Damore, D. F., & Lamatsch, T. (2002). Gender, employment status, and abortion: A longitudinal analysis. Sex Roles, 47, 321–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, R. K. (2006). Male involvement in the abortion decision and college students’ attitudes on the subject. The Social Science Journal, 43, 689–694.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, R. K., Finer, L. B., & Singh, S. (2010). Characteristics of U.S. abortion patients, 2008. New York: Guttmacher Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkman, M., Rowe, H., Hardiman, A., Mallett, S., & Rosenthal, D. (2009). Reasons women give for abortion: A review of the literature.

  • Kumar, A., Hessini, L., & Mitchell, E. M. (2009). Conceptualising abortion stigma. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 11(6), 625–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ladd, E. C., & Bowman, K. H. (1997). Public opinion about abortion. AEI Press.

  • Light, R. J. (1971). Measures of response agreement for qualitative data: Some generalizations and alternatives. Psychological Bulletin, 76, 365–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long, J. S., & Freese, J. (2014). Regression models for categorical dependent variables using Stata (3rd ed.). College Station, TX: Stata Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Major, B., & Gramzow, R. H. (1999). Abortion as stigma: Cognitive and emotional implications of concealment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 735–745.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Middlestadt, S. E., Bhattacharyya, K., Rosenbaum, J., Fishbein, M., & Shepherd, M. (1996). The use of theory based semistructured elicitation questionnaires: Formative research for CDC’s prevention marketing initiative. Public Health Reports, 111(Suppl 1), 18.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Nash, E., Gold, R. B., Ansari-Thomas, Z., Cappello, O., & Mohammed, L. (2017). Policy trends in the states: 2016. Retrieved from https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2017/01/policy-trends-states-2016.

  • Norris, A., Bessett, D., Steinberg, J. R., Kavanaugh, M. L., De Zordo, S., & Becker, D. (2011). Abortion stigma: A reconceptualization of constituents, causes, and consequences. Women's Health Issues, 21(3), S49–S54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patel, C. J., & Johns, L. (2009). Gender role attitudes and attitudes to abortion: Are there gender differences? The Social Science Journal, 46, 493–505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833, 856, 877 (1992).

  • Saad, L. (2002). Public opinion about abortion—An in-depth review. Gallup Poll News Service.

  • Saad, L. (2014). U.S. still split on abortion: 47% pro-choice, 46% pro-life. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/170249/split-abortion-pro-choice-pro-life. Published May 22, 2014. Accessed April 14, 2017.

  • Shamess, B. A. (1988). “Pro-abortion” versus “pro-choice”. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 138, 890.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shellenberg, K. M. (2010). Abortion stigma in the United States: Quantitative and qualitative perspectives from women seeking an abortion (Doctoral Dissertation). Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, R. J., & Abdel-Moneim, M. A. (2006). Does gender matter? Men and women on controversial social issues. Gender Issues, 27, 95–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. (2005). Beyond pro-choice versus pro-life: Women of color and reproductive justice. NWSA J, 17, 119–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. W., & Son, J. (2013). Trends in public attitudes towards abortion. General Social Survey Report 2012. Presented by NORC at the University of Chicago.

  • Smith, T.W., Marsden, P., Hout, M., & Kim, J. 2016 General social surveys, 1972–2016 [machine-readable data file]/Principal Investigator, Tom W. Smith; Co-Principal Investigator, Peter V. Marsden; Co-Principal Investigator, Michael Hout; Sponsored by National Science Foundation. -NORC ed.- Chicago: NORC at the University of Chicago [producer and distributor]. Data accessed from the GSS Data Explorer website at gssdataexplorer.norc.org.

  • Stets, J. E., & Leik, R. K. (1993). Attitudes about abortion and varying attitude structure. Soc Sci Res, 22, 265–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strickler, J., & Danigelis, N. L. (2002). Changing frameworks in attitudes toward abortion. Sociol Forum, 17, 187–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toth, J. F., Brown, R. B., & Xu, X. (2002). Separate family and community realities? An urban-rural comparison of the association between family life satisfaction and community satisfaction. Community, Work & Family, 5(2), 181–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Upadhyay, U. D., Biggs, M. A., & Foster, D. G. (2015). The effect of abortion on having and achieving aspirational one-year plans. BMC Womens Health, 15, 102. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-015-0259-1.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, G. (2004). Social and cultural determinants of attitudes toward abortion: A test of Reiss’ hypotheses. Soc Sci J, 41, 93–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, University of Arkansas, 308-V HPER Building, 155 Stadium Drive, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA

    Kristen N. Jozkowski & Mary E. Hunt

  2. The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Kristen N. Jozkowski

  3. Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA

    Brandon L. Crawford

Authors
  1. Kristen N. Jozkowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brandon L. Crawford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mary E. Hunt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristen N. Jozkowski.

Appendix

Appendix

Items from the GSS assessing respondents’ opinions on whether abortion should be legal under specific circumstances:

  1. 1.

    Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if there is a strong chance of a serious birth defect in the baby?

  2. 2.

    Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if she is married and does not want any more children?

  3. 3.

    Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if the woman’s own health is seriously endangered by the pregnancy?

  4. 4.

    Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if the family has a very low income and cannot afford any more children?

  5. 5.

    Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if she is not married and does not want to marry the man?

  6. 6.

    Please tell me whether or not you think it should be possible for a pregnant woman to obtain a legal abortion if she became pregnant as a result of rape?

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jozkowski, K.N., Crawford, B.L. & Hunt, M.E. Complexity in Attitudes Toward Abortion Access: Results from Two Studies. Sex Res Soc Policy 15, 464–482 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-018-0322-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-018-0322-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation