DeCesare M A
University of Massachusetts, Department of Sociology, Thompson Hall 536, 200 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Soc Biol. 2000 Fall-Winter;47(3-4):264-76. doi: 10.1080/19485565.2000.9989022.
This study replicates Singh's (1979) "classic" examination of correlates of euthanasia and suicide attitudes. The purposes of the current study were to assess (1) changes in public attitudes toward these voluntary termination of life practices, and (2) changes in the effects on attitudes of selected independent variables. I found Americans' approval of both euthanasia and suicide in 1996 to be higher than that in 1977. The increase in the approval of suicide, however, far outstripped that of euthanasia. Results of OLS regressions indicated that race, religious commitment, religious attendance, political identification, and suicide approval were statistically significant predictors of euthanasia approval. Only religious attendance and euthanasia approval were statistically significant predictors of suicide approval in both 1977 and 1996. The findings regarding euthanasia approval support those of Singh (1979); those regarding suicide approval do not. Triangulation of methods in future research is necessary to illuminate other aspects of these multifaceted issues.
本研究重复了辛格（1979年）对安乐死和自杀态度相关因素的“经典”考察。本研究的目的是评估：（1）公众对这些自愿结束生命行为的态度变化；（2）特定自变量对态度影响的变化。我发现，1996年美国人对安乐死和自杀的赞成率高于1977年。然而，自杀赞成率的增长远远超过了安乐死赞成率的增长。普通最小二乘法回归结果表明，种族、宗教信仰、宗教活动参与度、政治认同和自杀赞成率是安乐死赞成率的统计学显著预测因素。在1977年和1996年，只有宗教活动参与度和安乐死赞成率是自杀赞成率的统计学显著预测因素。关于安乐死赞成率的研究结果支持了辛格（1979年）的研究结果；关于自杀赞成率的研究结果则不然。未来的研究有必要采用多种方法进行三角互证，以阐明这些多方面问题的其他方面。
