Relationships between attitudes toward euthanasia and attitudes toward persons with disabilities

This exploratory study used 92 management undergraduates, in a politically and religiously conservative part of Canada near Montana, to examine the relationships between attitudes toward euthanasia and attitudes toward people with disabilities. Participants completed the 20-item Interaction with Disabled Persons (IDP) Scale [Gething, L. (199 1). Interaction with Disabled Persons Scale: Manual and kit. Sydney: University of Sydney] and a single-item measure of attitude toward euthanasia. There was moderate support, at best, for euthanasia (53.4% support). Results showed that only one (Coping/Succumbing Framework) of the six factor analytically derived IDP Scales predicted attitudes toward euthanasia. A two-group (pro- and anti-euthanasia) discriminant analysis using the 20 IDP items revealed a sympathy/understanding-discomfort set of discriminating items. No sex difference in attitudes toward euthanasia was found. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.