Do pro-choice and pro-life people overestimate group differences? Present Monday Dec 5^th

Chambers, Baron, and I showed that pro-life advocates (and pro-choice advocates) propose two strong values that they wrongly think the opposing group disagrees with. Pro-lifers emphasize moral sexual behavior and the value of human life (and assume pro-choice advocates do not). Pro-choice advocates emphasize keeping the government out of highly personal behaviors (and assume pro-lifers do not support this value). We’ll test whether this hypothesis is supported (assuming we can find people on both sides of the issue). Good project for any social science major, biology and natural science majors, and humanity majors.

You’ll want to seek out and find people you think might have strong pro-life or pro-choice convictions. Such people can be friends, professors/students in women’s studies programs, and people you visit/call who you think have a vested interest in the topic (e.g., people working at clinics). I’ve already attempted to contact right to life organizations through the internet and they require too long of a process and explanation to successfully do this project for this class. So, stick with people on campus, family/friends who don’t know about this project, and easily accessible people. Make it easy to collect data.

I’ll give you an in-press journal article on the topic. You will need to ask each person to indicate his/her agreement to the four key values proposed in the article. Then they repeat the process about how they think the other group feels about the four values. Make a survey that easily could be completed in 10 minutes or so. Make sure the response scale is the same for the two perspectives (own view, outgroup’s view).

Things to do/Tasks:

1. You'll need to print out the LAB WORKSHEET to complete and hand in on your presentation day.
2. Meet as a group (in class) and identify each person's strengths and tasks.
3. Discuss the project idea and specify the hypotheses (everyone's input here)
4. Design the method of the study (manipulation, materials), send materials to Inman

Discuss the way you'll present the info, what you'll say, what you'll do, debriefing, ethics

5. After approved by Inman, collect your data
6. Analyze/Code the data
7. Enter the data into a computer file (following Inman's instructions)
8. Learn of the results with Inman and how you'll present them graphically
9. Prepare a 8-minute (10-slide or so) powerpoint/overhead presentation (see website) decide on speaker roles
10. EVERYONE completes the lab worksheet about your study (see web)
11. EVERYONE stands up in class and EVERYONE has some speaking role in the class presentation.

Chambers measures:

For most of the items on this questionnaire, please indicate the intensity of your feelings and beliefs by circling the appropriate number. Larger numbers generally indicate stronger beliefs. There are about 15 pages in this questionnaire and it should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Feel free to omit any question you prefer not to answer.

What is your attitude regarding the legalization of abortion?

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

I am completely I am completely

opposed to the in favor of the

legalization of abortion legalization of abortion

Would other people consider you to be “Pro-Life” or “Pro-Choice?”

Pro-Life Pro-Choice Neither Prefer not to answer

How important is your attitude regarding the issue of legalized abortion to you?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Not at all important Very important

What is your gender?

Female Male Prefer not to answer

What is your age?

Please enter a number in the space provided. ____

[PAGE 2 OF QUESTIONNAIRE]

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Next, we will show you four attitude topics pertaining to the issue of abortion, and we would like you to make three different responses for each topic. First, please mark your own opinion by circling one of the numbers shown on the response scale provided. Second, please estimate the opinion of people in this study who favor the legalization of abortion by circling one of the numbers shown on the response scale provided. Third, please estimate the opinion of people in this study who oppose the legalization of abortion by circling one of the numbers shown on the response scale provided.

OPINION TOPIC #1: A woman’s right to determine her own reproductive choices…

Your opinion on this topic

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

Think about the typical person in this study who favors the legalization of abortion. Estimate their

opinion about this same topic.

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

Think about the typical person in this study who opposes the legalization of abortion. Estimate

their opinion about this same topic.

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

[PAGE 3 OF QUESTIONNAIRE]

OPINION TOPIC #2: Freedom to live without government interference in private lives…

Your opinion on this topic

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

Think about the typical person in this study who favors the legalization of abortion. Estimate their

opinion about this same topic.

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

Think about the typical person in this study who opposes the legalization of abortion. Estimate their opinion about this same topic.

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

[PAGE 4 OF QUESTIONNAIRE]

OPINION TOPIC #3: The value of human life…

Your opinion on this topic

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

Think about the typical person in this study who favors the legalization of abortion. Estimate their

opinion about this same topic.

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

Think about the typical person in this study who opposes the legalization of abortion. Estimate

their opinion about this same topic.

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

[PAGE 5 OF QUESTIONNAIRE]

OPINION TOPIC #4: A moral code that demands responsibility for sexual conduct…

Your opinion on this topic

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

Think about the typical person in this study who favors the legalization of abortion. Estimate their

opinion about this same topic.

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

Think about the typical person in this study who opposes the legalization of abortion. Estimate their opinion about this same topic.

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Completely Completely

opposed to in favor of

[PAGE 6 OF QUESTIONNAIRE]

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY For each of the following topics, mark how important the topic is in determining your attitude regarding the issue of legalized abortion.

A woman’s right to determine her own reproductive choices?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

not at all very

important important

Freedom to live without government interference in private lives?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

not at all very

important important

The value of human life?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

not at all very

important important

A moral code that demands responsibility for sexual conduct?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

not at all very

important important

For each of the following topics, please rank order the importance of the topic regarding your attitude towards the issue of legalized abortion. (1 = most important regarding my attitude about the issue of legalized abortion, 4 = least important regarding my attitude about the issue of legalized abortion). Important: Each topic should have a different rank.

1 2 3 4 A woman’s right to determine her own reproductive choices?

1 2 3 4 Freedom to live without government interference in private lives?

1 2 3 4 The value of human life?

1 2 3 4 A moral code that demands responsibility for sexual conduct?