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K. Montgomery Thesis Final.pdf (906.88 KB)
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Abstract Header
Measuring Abortion Attitudes: A Reckoning with the Rossi Scale
Author Info
Montgomery, Kylee
ORCID® Identifier
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8595-568X
Permalink:
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1744950343508825
Abstract Details
Year and Degree
2025, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Sociology.
Abstract
Since 1965, the “Rossi scale” has been regularly used in the social sciences and sociology to gauge the extent to which individuals feel that women should have access to a legal abortion by assessing their agreement with abortion in a series of circumstances. In the contemporary era, however, the conversation has shifted from a discussion of abortion rights to a discussion of abortion access. Moreover, feminist theory has moved beyond the use of an underlying "choice" logic to assess individuals' attitudes toward abortion. In this article, I interrogate the prevailing use of the Rossi scale for the measurement of abortion attitudes by investigating its reliability, assessing its enduring hierarchical nature, and verifying its unidimensionality. Despite concerns with the continued face validity of the Rossi scale, findings show that the scale continues to be statistically adequate. I discuss my most pertinent findings in these regards and propose potential analytic alternatives for future scholarship surrounding reproductive justice, abortion, and attitudes toward legal abortion in particular.
Committee
David Melamed (Advisor)
Dana Haynie (Committee Member)
Vincent Roscigno (Advisor)
Pages
44 p.
Subject Headings
Sociology
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Citations
Montgomery, K. (2025).
Measuring Abortion Attitudes: A Reckoning with the Rossi Scale
[Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1744950343508825
APA Style (7th edition)
Montgomery, Kylee.
Measuring Abortion Attitudes: A Reckoning with the Rossi Scale.
2025. Ohio State University, Master's thesis.
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center
, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1744950343508825.
MLA Style (8th edition)
Montgomery, Kylee. "Measuring Abortion Attitudes: A Reckoning with the Rossi Scale." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2025. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1744950343508825
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
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Document number:
osu1744950343508825
Download Count:
5
Copyright Info
© 2025, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.