Euthanasia: A National Survey of Attitudes toward Voluntary Termination of Life

Abstract

This study focused on the attitudes of a national sample of adults related to the voluntary termination of life. The data-base for this research were 1525 adults surveyed in the 1977 NORC General Survey. Two items in the survey delineated the pro-euthanasia and the anti-euthanasia groups. Several independent variables including structural, behavioral, and attitudinal variables were correlated with euthanasia attitudes. Several statistically significant correlations were found. These findings plus the results of a discriminant analysis showed that those persons with favorable attitudes toward suicide were also favorable toward euthanasia. Religiosity and other religious indicators were negatively associated with pro-euthanasia attitudes. Whites and males were more favorable toward euthanasia than Blacks and females. Finally, the social class variables were positively associated with pro-euthanasia attitudes.

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