UC Riverside

This study uses a sociological social psychological perspective to examine abortion attitudes among self-identified men and women. The study of abortion attitudes is important because abortion has remained an ongoing, controversial political topic for decades. Identity theory suggests that people’s attitudes are guided by their identities. I predict that the more that someone identifies with his/her gender, the more that s/he opposes abortion. Although exceptions exist, people’s gender identification is often shaped by traditional, cultural meanings associated with gender that typically do not support abortion access. By analyzing the Identity Module in the 2014 General Social Survey through ordinary least squares regression among self-identified men and women, the findings indicate that the more that someone identifies with his/her gender, the more they are likely to oppose abortion. The strength of gender identification has a greater impact on abortion attitudes than gender identity, measured in terms of whether respondents identify as male or female. Future research must consider the self and how individuals view themselves, especially in relation to gender, in an analysis of abortion attitudes.