Can mortality awareness determine abortion attitudes? A controlled psychological experiment

Both demographic transition theory and evolutionary life history theory propose that fertility responds to changes in mortality. This relationship exists at population level, and may be mediated by psychological mechanisms causing individuals to lower fertility as mortality rates fall. Controlled experiments have found that individuals faced with cues of high mortality express increased/accelerated fertility preferences, and reduced support for birth control policies. UK research shows that socioeconomically deprived people are both less likely to terminate pregnancies and are less accepting of abortion than wealthier people. Health disparities may mean that perceptions of increased mortality and morbidity for poorer people might decrease motivation to terminate pregnancy when young. A randomised controlled online experiment here tests if mortality cues influence abortion attitudes. We predict that:
1) Mortality salience cues will a) decrease reported approval of abortion b) increase reported motivation to have children sooner.
2) Longevity cues will a) increase reported approval of abortion b) decrease reported motivation to have children sooner.
A sample of 256 individuals from England and Wales, aged 18-25, 50% men, 50% women will complete online questionnaires, and data will be analysed using GLM and MANOVA techniques.