Culture, Personality, and Attitudes Toward Euthanasia: A Comparative Study of University Students in Iran and the United States. (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wasserman, Jason Adam; Aghababaei, Naser; Nannini, Drew
• Is Part Of: Omega. Volume 72:Number 3(2016)
• Page Start: 247
• Page End: 270
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: personality -- culture -- euthanasia attitude -- HEXACO model of personality; Death -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Bereavement -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Death -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Suicide -- Periodicals; 306.9
• DOI: 10.1177/0030222815575280
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0030-2228

Abstract

This article reports cultural differences in the relationship between personality characteristics and euthanasia attitudes using samples from Iran and the United States. Survey data from university students were analyzed using multivariate regression. Results indicate that while attitudes toward euthanasia are significantly more positive among the U.S. sample, there is significantly greater variation among the Iranian sample. Honesty-Humility and Openness to Experience are predictive factors in both samples, where Agreeableness is only significant among the Iranian group. Additionally, Chow tests of structural features of the multivariate models show significant differences between the two samples. We conclude by discussing implications of these results for understanding cultural similarities and differences in attitudes toward euthanasia, including the practical implications of this work for patient care in an increasingly globalized world.