Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T20:31:02.006Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Perceptions of contraceptive methods: a multidimensional scaling analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Victor J. Callan  and
Cynthia Gallois
Victor J. Callan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Cynthia Gallois
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This study employed similarity judgments to determine the dimensions used in distinguishing between methods of contraception, and to investigate individual differences in the use of these dimensions. Three groups of subjects rated the similarity of seventeen methods of contraception, and also rated each method on a number of adjective scales. Multidimensional scaling of the similarity judgments revealed two dimensions: one related to effectiveness, expense, and safety, and the other differentiating between standard and non-standard methods of contraception (or natural and non-natural ones). In addition, methods of contraception were arrayed in the space mainly on the basis of physical similarity. Analyses of the rating scales indicated that subjects perceived methods accurately in terms of effectiveness, but were inaccurate in their ratings of safety to the user. Finally, analysis of individual differences indicated that the second dimension was more salient to younger than to older subjects, but did not reveal differences related to religion or contraceptive use.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 16 , Issue 2 , April 1984 , pp. 277 - 286
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Caldwell, J.C. & Ware, H. (1973) The evolution of family planning in Australia. Popul. Stud. 27, 7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Callan, V.J. (1980a) Family size intentions and sex preference: the attitudes of university students. Aust. J. Sex, Marriage & Fam. 1, 157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Callan, V.J. (1980b) The Value of Children to Australian, Greek, and Italian Parents in Sydney. Papers of the East-West Population Institute, No. 60-C. East-West Centre, Honolulu, Hawaii.Google Scholar
Davidson, A.R. & Jaccard, J.J. (1975) Population psychology: a new look at an old problem. J. Personal, social Psychol. 31, 1073.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Downs, P.E. (1976) Examining the Intrafamily Decision-making Process with Respect to Contraceptive Behaviour. PhD thesis, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.Google Scholar
Emory University Family Planning Program (1975) Contraceptive Technology, 1974–1975. Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.Google Scholar
Insko, C.A., Blake, R.R. & Cialdini, R.B. (1970) Attitude toward birth control and cognitive consistency: theoretical and practical implications of survey data. J. Personal, social Psychol. 16, 228.Google Scholar
Kruskal, J.B. & Wish, M. (1978) Multidimensional Scaling. Sage, Beverley Hills.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Royal Commission on Human Relationships (1977) Sexuality and Fertility. Final Report, Vol. 3. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
Siedlecky, S. (1978) The Melbourne Survey—1977. Pre-marital Sex and Contraception. MSc thesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.Google Scholar
Takane, Y., Young, F. & de Leeuw, J. (1977) Nonmetric individual differences model of multi-dimensional scaling: an alternating least squares method with optimal scaling features. Psychometrika, 42, 7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tietze, C., Bongaarts, J. & Schearer, B. (1976) Mortality associated with the control of fertility. Fam. Plann. Perspect. 8, 1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Young, C.M. & Ware, H. (1979) Contraceptive use in Australia. Aust. N.Z. J. Obstet. Gynaec. 19, 1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed