Firstborn Preference and Attitudes Toward Using Sex Selection Technology
- 1 June 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in The Journal of Genetic Psychology
- Vol. 163 (2) , 228-238
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00221320209598680
Abstract
The authors investigated sex preferences for firstborn children and (a) protechnology attitudes and willingness to use sex selection technology (SST) and (b) social conformity. College students (N = 469; 239 women, 230 men) answered demographic questions and questions on technology usage and personal preferences and completed a measure of conformity. Findings revealed a significant overall preference for firstborn males, a specific preference of potential SST users for firstborn sons, and a greater willingness of African American students, compared with White students, to use SST. No correlation was found between conformity and potential SST use. Logistic regression results suggested that protechnology attitudes may be predictive of firstborn preferences. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to gender equality and population sex ratios.Keywords
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