A research note on male‐female differentials in the experience of heterosexual love

Debate regarding the morality of abortion has ranged from expressions of concern for the fetus by anti‐abortionists to assertions by those favoring legalized abortion that women should control their own bodies. The present research explored the possibility that the social acceptability of the sexual relationship and the extent of contraceptive conscientiousness of an abortion applicant influences favorability of response toward abortion. After responding to a measure of attitudes toward premarital contraceptive use, 40 college students read 10 brief case histories of young unmarried women who were purportedly requesting abortion. As hypothesized, participants' support for abortion was influenced by the source of contraceptive failure (method vs. personal), kind of contraceptive (artificial vs. natural), and kind of sexual relationship (steady vs. casual). Results were discussed in terms of the possibility that observers may wish to restore justice by giving greater support for abortion for conscientious contraceptive users involved in socially approved sexual relationships than for careless contraceptive users whose involvements are more casual. It was suggested that societal attitudes toward contraception for unmarried persons may interact with the reality of the prevalence of premarital sexual activity to increase the premarital pregnancy rate.