The Impact of the “Scream”: To Use or Not to Use

Abstract

The 1985 release of the graphic anti-abortion film "Silent Scream" presented health educators with the difficult decision of whether this 1-sided, scientifically inaccurate visual should be utilized to convey the right-to-life viewpoint. To address this dilemma, a study was conducted of 141 midwestern college students who were shown both the "Silent Scream"visual and the "Planned Parenthood Response" visual. The Abortion Attitude Scale was administered to study subjects at study entry, immediately after exposure to "Silent Scream," the day following viewing of the anti-abortion film after exposure to the Planned Parenthood pro-choice response visual, and 6 months after entry into the study. The sample included 90 females and 51 males; variance scores for males and females were equal at the 5 different points of measurement. At baseline, mean scores on the Abortion Attitude Scale were 37.6 for males and 36.5 for females (with scores of 56-70 considered indicative of strong pro-abortion attitudes and 0-15 reflecting strong anti-abortion attitudes). After viewing of "Silent Scream," the means dropped to 27.9 among males and 25.5 among females (indicative of moderate pro-life attitudes), but had increased to 31.1 and 2.87, respectively, by the next day. After exposure to the pro-choice visual, attitudes remained in the "unsure" attitude range but exceeded baseline values (37.9 for males and 37.2 for females). Overall, these findings indicate that the attitudes of college students on abortion are very easily influences yet the shift is temporary and there is a reversion to previously held attitudes once the emotionality of a one-sided presentation wears off.