CONSERVATISM AND ATTITUDES TOWARD SUICIDE - A STUDY OF TAIWANESE-AMERICAN AND US ADULTS

The Suicide Opinion Questionnaire and the Conservatism scale were admi nistered to two samples of respondents: Eighty-two Taiwanese-Americans and eighty-two United States adults, of comparable gender, age, and g eographical location. The results indicated significant differences on seven of the eight SOQ scales, as well as significant differences in conservatism. In both samples, the pattern of correlations between con servatism and attitudes toward suicide was highly similar, with more c onservative individuals perceiving suicide as related to mental illnes s, religion, and moral evil, and less so as a right to die. In both sa mples, significant differences in attitudes toward suicide were reflec ted between those self-identified as suicide ideators and those not so identified.