The good, the bad, and the utilitarian: attitudes towards genetic testing and implications for disability

Abstract

The present study focused on the link between the attitudes towards genetic testing and views on selective reproduction choices following genetic testing. First, we explored the potential demographical (age, gender, number of children, relationship status) and personal factors (perceived morality, religiosity, parenting intentions, instrumental harm) underlying these attitudes using a specific moral psychology approach, i.e., the two-dimension model of utilitarianism (i.e., instrumental harm and impartial beneficence). Next, we investigated participants’ hypothetical reproduction choices depending on the future child’s potential future condition, assessed through genetic screening. Our sample consisted of 1627 Romanian adults aged 17 to 70 ( M = 24.46). Results indicated that one’s perceived morality was the strongest predictor of positive attitudes towards genetic testing, and instrumental harm was the strongest predictor of negative attitudes. Also, more religious individuals with more children had more moral concerns related to genetic testing. Participants considered Down syndrome as the condition that parents (others than themselves) should most take into account when deciding to have children (35%), followed by progressive muscular dystrophy (29.1%) and major depressive disorder (29%). When expressing their choices for their future children (i.e., pregnancy termination decisions), participants’ knowledge about potential deafness in their children generated the most frequent (37.7%) definitive termination decisions (i.e., “definitely yes” answers), followed by schizophrenia (35.8%), and major depressive disorder (35.2%). Finally, we discuss our results concerning their practical implications for disability and prenatal screening ethical controversies.

The Screening Strategies Used to Establish Egyptian Women Entrepreneurs’ Attitudes towards Genetic Technology

“…According to [22], the promising attitudes and Javanese mothers' acceptance can be predicted through appropriate feasibility. [12]'s, [23]'s and [24]'s findings show that the feasibility of screening procedures positively affects genomic attitudes and intentions. Also, in diverse contexts, factors such as accessibility and accuracy are substantial predictors of genomic attitudes [1,24,25].…”

“…This is the best approach for this study due to its deep involvement in numbers and because it provides valuable insights and consequences in numbers and figures [71]. In their previous studies, several scholars, such as [9,11,12,14,15,18,33,47], have applied this approach to their investigations of the different perspectives of genomic technology. The researcher targeted Egyptian women entrepreneurs because of their unique visions and comprehensive understanding of societal attitudes toward genetic technology [14,15].…”

“…In the literature, several constructs, such as risks, genomic knowledge, the feasibility of screening procedures, and social and health system problems, are positive and significant predictors of attitudes toward genetic technology [9][10][11][12]. Moreover, genomic knowledge provides individuals with basic knowledge about genetic technology, which helps them to avoid risks [13].…”