Correlates of Attitudes about “The Right to Die” among 1973 and 1976 High School and College Students

Abstract

Attitudes about “the right to die” were studied among high school and college students at three recent points in time. A general item about the right to decide between life and death, and a specific one about that right for the terminally ill were accepted by more than half the students; both were more accepted than an item rejecting life after death. All three items were related to beliefs about religion, abortion, teenage birth control, and the worth of current ideas. The “right to die” items were positively correlated in all groups; the more conservative the students, the likelier they were to disagree with them. Agreement was related to belief in self-determination in moral/social matters. The item rejecting life after death was generally unrelated to the “right to die” items and to liberalism-conservatism, but its acceptance was greater among the more dogmatic college students, and among those derogating ideas and people. Possible reasons for the combined personality and time period effects were discussed; they suggest a potential backlash after more legislation such as the California law is passed, as is currently happening in the area of abortion.