Exposure to Lived Representations of Abortion in Popular Television Program Plotlines on Abortion-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Support: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Evidence suggests that entertainment media may influence knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to health topics. After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it is critical to examine how these media may be associated with people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions related to abortion. Using a non-experimental ex post facto design, we examined whether exposure to any of three abortion plotlines was correlated with (a) greater knowledge about abortion, (b) lower stigmatizing attitudes about abortion, and (c) higher likelihood of supporting someone seeking an abortion among a sample of television audience members (N = 1,016), administered via a survey on Qualtrics. We selected three scripted, fictional abortion plotlines on the U.S. television shows Station 19, Better Things, and A Million Little Things, based on medical accuracy and airdates near each other in March 2022. Exposure to a plotline was defined as accurately answering at least two recall questions about a given plotline. We found that compared to those who were not exposed to any of the plotlines, exposure to any of the three plot lines was associated with greater knowledge about abortion and higher willingness to support a friend seeking an abortion, but not with lower stigmatizing attitudes. Exposure to medically accurate depictions of abortion on television may be one way to improve knowledge about abortion and community support for people seeking abortion.