The Effect of Question Wording on Attitudes toward Prenatal Testing and Abortion

Abstract

At intervals since 1990, the General Social Survey (GSS) has asked a series of four questions inquiring into knowledge of genetic testing and attitudes toward prenatal testing and abortion, most recently in 2010. The questions about prenatal testing and abortion were framed in terms of �baby�. But in the current anti-abortion climate, it seemed possible that the word �fetus� would carry more abstract, impersonal connotations than �baby� and might therefore lead to different responses, especially in the case of abortion. To resolve this issue, we designed the question-wording experiment reported in this research note. We found no significant differences by question wording for abortion preferences in the sample as a whole and small but significant differences for prenatal testing, in a direction opposite to that expected. However, question wording did make substantial differences in the responses of some demographic subgroups.