Assessing attitudes toward euthanasia: an analysis of the subcategorical approach to right to die issues

This study was designed to investigate the way people perceive and respond to the issue of euthanasia. Four models were developed to reflect the subcategorical distinctions of 1. (1) active vs passive euthanasia,2. (2) voluntary vs involuntary euthanasia,3. (3) active-voluntary, active-involuntary, passive-voluntary, passive-involuntary and4. (4) a single-factor euthanasia model. In study 1, exploratory factor analysis identified a two-factor structure representing the voluntary-involuntary subcategorical distinction. This two-factor structure of euthanasia was cross-validated with a different sample in study 2, via confirmatory factor analysis. Model comparisons indicated that the two-factor voluntary vs involuntary euthanasia model offered the best fit to the data relative to the other hypothesised models. These findings suggest that the presence or absence of the wish of the patient to die may be the most important factor influencing attitudes toward life and death issues.