Abstract

The recent overturn of Roe v. Wade created ambiguity surrounding abortion rights. The current study investigates how the overturn of Roe v. Wade impacted college students’ attitudes toward reproductive rights. Specifically, the study investigates how certain variables such as gender and political ideology influence views on abortion. Previous research indicates that support for contraceptives is negatively correlated with abortion opposition. We hypothesize that conservatives will view abortion as immoral, but be less willing to utilize contraceptives. Similarly, we hypothesize that individuals who score higher on Dark Triad traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy will be more likely to oppose abortion rights. Data was collected through a survey distributed to college students to assess views about abortion. Preliminary results demonstrate that more than half of the participants support abortion rights. These results also showed that gender, political ideology, and Dark Triad traits influenced attitudes about reproductive rights.