Assisted Reproduction

Conceptions, Controversies, and Community Sentiment

Alexandra E. Sigillo and Monica K. Miller

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) allows people who are infertile the opportunity to conceive children and form much desired families. Over the past few decades, the number of ART procedures conducted in the United States has steadily increased, in part affected by the growing number of women trying to conceive later in their reproductive lives. This demographic shift in baby making has widened to include a variety of other people who experience social infertility, from single persons to same-sex couples. Media exposure and political attention to the use of ART have aroused public concern and controversy. In Assisted Reproduction, Alexandra E. Sigillo and Monica K. Miller explore how media, personal differences, societal influences, and psychological processes shape community sentiment toward ART and ART-related laws and policies. This book is recommended for students and scholars of psychology, sociology, gender and women’s studies, communication studies, public health, and legal studies.

Lexington Books

Pages: 304 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4985-5791-7 • Hardback • November 2019 • $117.00 • (£90.00)

978-1-4985-5793-1 • eBook • November 2019 • $111.00 • (£85.00)

Series: Critical Perspectives on the Psychology of Sexuality, Gender, and Queer Studies

Subjects: Psychology / Social Psychology, Psychology / Health Psychology, Psychology / Human Sexuality, Psychology / Psychology of Sex & Gender, Psychology / Psychology of Women, Psychology / Psychology of Law, Social Science / Anthropology / Medical, Social Science / Disease & Health Issues, Social Science / Medical Sociology, Social Science / Law and Society, Social Science / Human Services, Social Science / Science and Technology, Social Science / Women's Studies

Assisted Reproduction

Conceptions, Controversies, and Community Sentiment

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) allows people who are infertile the opportunity to conceive children and form much desired families. Over the past few decades, the number of ART procedures conducted in the United States has steadily increased, in part affected by the growing number of women trying to conceive later in their reproductive lives. This demographic shift in baby making has widened to include a variety of other people who experience social infertility, from single persons to same-sex couples. Media exposure and political attention to the use of ART have aroused public concern and controversy. In Assisted Reproduction, Alexandra E. Sigillo and Monica K. Miller explore how media, personal differences, societal influences, and psychological processes shape community sentiment toward ART and ART-related laws and policies. This book is recommended for students and scholars of psychology, sociology, gender and women’s studies, communication studies, public health, and legal studies.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 304 • Trim: 6¼ x 9

978-1-4985-5791-7 • Hardback • November 2019 • $117.00 • (£90.00)

978-1-4985-5793-1 • eBook • November 2019 • $111.00 • (£85.00)

Series: Critical Perspectives on the Psychology of Sexuality, Gender, and Queer Studies

Subjects: Psychology / Social Psychology, Psychology / Health Psychology, Psychology / Human Sexuality, Psychology / Psychology of Sex & Gender, Psychology / Psychology of Women, Psychology / Psychology of Law, Social Science / Anthropology / Medical, Social Science / Disease & Health Issues, Social Science / Medical Sociology, Social Science / Law and Society, Social Science / Human Services, Social Science / Science and Technology, Social Science / Women's Studies

Author

Alexandra Sigillo, PhD, is research project manager at EdSurge, Inc.

Monica K. Miller, PhD, is foundation professor of criminal justice and interdisciplinary social psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction: Assisted Reproductive Technology: Why All the Controversy?

Chapter 1: The Players, Procedures, Outcomes, and Objections

Chapter 2: How Assisted Reproduction Shapes Family Law

Chapter 3: The Relationship between Media and Community Sentiment toward ART

Chapter 4: How Personal Differences Shape Community Sentiment toward ART

Chapter 5: How Societal Factors Affect Community Sentiment toward ART

Chapter 6: How Psychological Processes Influence Community Sentiment toward ART

Chapter 7: Furthering the Study of Community Sentiment toward ART

Conclusion: As Reproductive Technology Advances, Divided Sentiment Remains

Appendix A: Scientific Information About Infertility and IVF (Study 2)

Appendix B: Manipulated Messages (Study 2)

Appendix C: Measures for Both Studies

References

Index

About the Authors

Reviews

Assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), sperm and egg donation, surrogacy, and germ line genetic modification, have proliferated worldwide in the past forty years. Authors Sigillo (EdSurge, Inc.) and Miller (Univ. of Nevada, Reno) explore factors that influence and shape people’s knowledge and sentiments regarding these technologies, their applications, and how they are regulated through law and policy. Chapter 2 discusses how the technologies in turn may influence family law. Succeeding chapters provide discussions of the influence of the media, demographics, and changing social norms on people’s attitudes towards reproductive technologies. . . The most important contribution of this revision of Sigillo's dissertation is its presentation of two empirical studies on how psychological processes affect community sentiment toward IVF. Interestingly, the studies find that people use knowledge acquired through the media to construct cognitive shortcuts and heuristics that inform their sentiments (whether positive or negative) and behavior (whether supportive or obstructive) with respect to the technologies and related policy. As expressed in the language of the concluding chapter, "divided sentiment remains." Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students.

— Choice Reviews

Alexandra E. Sigillo and Monica K. Miller have produced an insightful account of the lived experiences of assisted reproductive technologies and how these experiences intersect across life domains. A must-read book for anyone interested in a fresh perspective on family building—via community sentiment—in the 21st century.
— Olga van den Akker, Middlesex University London

Assisted Reproduction

Conceptions, Controversies, and Community Sentiment

Alexandra E. Sigillo and Monica K. Miller

Assisted Reproduction

Conceptions, Controversies, and Community Sentiment

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