Attitudes towards Assisted Reproductive Technologies: A Vignette Study

Daniele Vignoli, University of Florence
Valentina Tocchioni, University of Florence
Ester Lazzari, University of Vienna
Marco Cozzani , University of Firenze

While delayed parenthood and medical advancements have increased ART utilization across Europe, existing studies largely treat infertility as a medical issue, overlooking its socially constructed nature. This gap is particularly problematic in light of the growing societal and political debates around ART, which resemble other polarized, partisan ethical issues. This paper examines attitudes toward ART, with a focus on Italy—a country traditionally known for conservative family norms, yet where ART use has become more widespread in recent years. We employ a factorial survey experiment (FSE) in which respondents evaluate vignettes describing fictitious couples facing infertility, and express judgments regarding whether they should pursue ART (on a 0-10 response scale). Descriptive results reveal polarized attitudes toward ART use: approximately 15% of responses in our sample are strongly in favor, while about 10% are strongly opposed. Nonetheless, our findings also indicate that certain characteristics of the fictitious couples—such as having tried to conceive for over a year and advanced maternal age—positively influence support for ART. In contrast, heterologous treatments, going abroad, and being already a parent are generally associated with more negative attitudes. By demonstrating that views on ART are polarized, yet also fluid, context-dependent, and shaped by the specific relational dynamics within couples, this study lays a foundation for future research on ART in contemporary aging societies.

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 Presented in Session P1. Families, Fertility, and the Life Course 1