ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ON PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS AND U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICIES: THE CASE OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH A Dissertation by TOMEKA MICHELLE ROBINSON Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2009 Major Subject: Health Education ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ON PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS AND U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICIES: THE CASE OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH A Dissertation by TOMEKA MICHELLE ROBINSON Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Patricia Goodson Committee Members, E. Lisako J. McKyer Buzz Pruitt Domonic Bearfield Head of Department, Richard Kreider December 2009 Major Subject: Health Education iii ABSTRACT Assessing the Impact of Religious Beliefs on Public Perceptions and U.S. Government Policies: The Case of Embryonic Stem Cell Research. (December 2009) Tomeka Michelle Robinson, B.S., McNeese State University; M.A., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Patricia Goodson This dissertation presents three separate studies designed to provide structure and evidence-based insight into the impact of religious beliefs on public perceptions and U.S. government policies regarding embryonic stem cell research. First, a systematic literature review of nine (n=9) empirical studies that examined individuals‘ religious beliefs and perceptions/utilization of genetic technologies/services will be presented. Based on the finding from the review, there was an equal balance between studies that found that religion was a factor positively affecting intention to submit to genetic testing and those that illustrated a negative association. Secondly, a qualitative examination of college students‘ from various racial/ethnic and religious backgrounds exploring the definition, interpretation, and conceptualization of the influence of religious beliefs on perceptions regarding embryonic stem cell research will be offered. Employing an emergent design, the data collection process encompassed thirty-seven in-depth interviews. The majority of participants in this study believed that ESCR should be conducted and federally funding in the United States, regardless of their religious beliefs. iv Lastly, the findings from the analysis of congressional records from the U.S. Congress for areas of convergence and divergence between discussions, voting, and legislation regarding stem cell research with the official stances of the major religious groups in the United States accessing the influence of religious rhetoric on political discourse regarding embryonic stem cell research will be discussed. Findings from this study suggest that religious rhetoric has a substantial influence on political rhetoric regarding ESCR. v DEDICATION To my mother and niece for their unfaltering love and support vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Buzz Pruitt, Dr. Lisako McKyer, and Dr. Domonic Bearfield, for their support, insight, and thoughtful feedback on this research project. I would like to especially thank my committee chair, Dr. Patricia Goodson, for her guidance, encouragement, and mentorship through the course of this dissertation and through my doctoral studies. Special thanks also to Marybeth Henthorne for helping to keep me on track. To my family, fiancé, friends, and colleagues, I greatly appreciate your confidence in my abilities and continual encouragement and affirmations. Without all of you, this project would not have been complete. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. iii DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………… 1 II SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF CURRENT RESEARCH EXAMINING RELIGION-RELATED FACTORS AND GENETIC TESTING……………………………………………….. 4 Introduction .................................................................................... 4 Methods .......................................................................................... 6 Findings .......................................................................................... 14 Discussion ...................................................................................... 22 III RELIGIOUS AND GENOMICS/GENETICS BELIEFS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY………………………………………….. 24 Introduction .................................................................................... 24 Methods .......................................................................................... 28 Findings .......................................................................................... 33 Discussion ...................................................................................... 43 viii CHAPTER Page IV THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGIOUS RHETORIC ON POLITICAL DISCOURSE REGARDING EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH……... ............................................................................. 46 Introduction .................................................................................... 46 Methods .......................................................................................... 48 Findings .......................................................................................... 54 Discussion ...................................................................................... 82 V CONCLUSIONS……………………………………… ........................ 86 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 89 APPENDIX A ........................................................................................................... 101 APPENDIX B ........................................................................................................... 107 APPENDIX C …………………………………………………………………….. 108 APPENDIX D …………………………………………………………………….. 110 APPENDIX E …………………………………………………………………… ... 112 VITA ......................................................................................................................... 114 ix LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page 2.1 Characteristics of Reviewed Studies .......................................................... 9 2.2 Criteria for Assessment of Reviewed Studies Methodological Characteristics… .............................................................. 14 2.3 Summary of Religion-Related Factors on Intention to Submit to Genetic Testing.. ........................................................................ 15 3.1 Interview Matrix……………………….. ................................................... 31 3.2 Sample Frequencies.. .................................................................................. 34 4.1 Religious Groups‘ Official Position on Stem Cell Research……………………….. .............................................. 51 4.2 Abridged Version of the Original Argument Extraction and Analysis……………………….. ...................... 54 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Within the arena of biotechnology, the newest and most controversial issue is embryonic stem cell research (ESCR). When President Bush announced to the American people in August 2001 that he would not allow federal research grants to be awarded to scientists conducting human ESCR, the debate became public (Korobkin and Munzer, 2008). This announcement coupled with media coverage of political discussions surrounding ESCR has left few in contemporary society without some knowledge of the words ‗stem cell‘ (Brossard and Shanahan, 2003). However, many individuals have merely a vague understanding of the terms to which they have been exposed. There are two basic kinds of stem cells: those found in certain adult tissues and those found in the cells of three-to-five-day-old embryos. The major difference between adult and embryonic stem cells is their ability to differentiate into multiple cell types. ―Embryonic stem cells are derived from totipotent cells of the early mammalian embryo and are capable of unlimited, undifferentiated proliferation in vitro‖ (Thomson, Itskovitz-Eldor, Shapiro, Waknitz, Swiergiel, Marshall, and Jones, 1998; p.1145). In other words, embryonic stem cells can become all cell types because they have the ability to develop into any of the 220 cell types in the human body. Adult stem cells are thought to be limited to differentiating only into cell types that match their tissue of origin (Smith, 1991). ___________________________ This dissertation follows the style of Health Education. 2 The increasing interest in ESCR from a scientific perspective is three-fold. First, through the examination of the mechanisms by which stem cells differentiate to repair the body‘s structures, scientists are enabled to gain more insight into how diseases generate and develop. Second, if scientists can figure out ways to manipulate stem cells to imitate disease formation, they can devise treatments. Third, stem cells can potentially cure diseases directly (Korobkin and Munzer, 2008). While scientists and bioethicists alike tout the promising aspects of ESCR, not everyone