The application of Guttman scale analysis to physician's attitudes regarding abortion

Meni Koslowsky, Gail L. Pratt, Ronald M. Wintrob

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Interviewed a random sample of 40 licensed obstetrician-gynecologists and 25 family physicians about their attitudes toward abortion and their experiences since its legalization. Data suggest that, while physicians in both specialties approved or disapproved of legal terminations of pregnancies in general, their attitudes reflected qualifications based on the circumstances of each specific case. Analysis of Ss' personal reactions to abortion under 11 different circumstances revealed that Ss' attitudes conformed to a Guttman scalogramming pattern. Tests of reproducibility and scalibility yielded high values. Physicians' reactions ranged from high rates of approval of abortion for medical reasons to lower rates of approval for sociocultural, nonmedical reasons, except when the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)301-304
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Applied Psychology
Volume61
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1976
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Guttman scale analysis, attitudes toward abortion & experiences since its legalization, obstetrician-gynecologists & family physicians

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