Teaching about Psychological Perspectives on Abortion

Abstract

This article describes an undergraduate course on abortion, one of the most contentious social issues of our time. The course focuses on the psychological aspects of abortion for adolescents and women who choose legal abortions, the consequences of denied abortions on unwanted children, and psychological ramifications of alternatives to abortion. Three phases of the course are described. In the introductory phase, I lectured on how scientific evidence about abortion is derived and should be scrutinized. In the second phase, students read and discussed historical and legal writings on abortion. In the third phase, students wrote analytical papers and gave group presentations. Evaluations of the course are included.

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References

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