NATURE VS. NURTURE
U.S. NEWS & BOZELL WORLDWIDE RELEASE
POLL ON AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARD HUMAN BEHAVIOR
FOR RELEASE: NOON, SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1997
FINDINGS HAVE RELEVANT IMPLICATIONS FOR MAJOR PUBLIC
POLICY BATTLES RAGING AROUND THE NATION, INCLUDING GAY RIGHTS, POLICIES TO TREAT MENTAL
ILLNESS AND FIGHT ADDICTION
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans are more likely to support gay rights,
drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, and funding for research on mental illness if
they think certain behaviors are determined primarily by heredity and genes rather than by
upbringing and environment, according to the latest Quality-Quotient poll from
U.S. News
& World Report and Bozell Worldwide.
Most Americans (68%) think people's behavior is shaped both by genetic
makeup and by life experiences and they reject arguments that either factor alone
determines a person's destiny, according to the poll. When asked how much people's
behaviors are determined by heredity and genes, 3% of Americans said completely, 16%
mostly, 10% not at all, but 68% said behavior is somewhat determined by heredity and
genes.
These findings have relevant implications for some major public policy
battles that are raging around the nation, including gay rights, and policies to treat
mental illness and fight addiction.
While only 45% of those surveyed favored gay rights, 69% of those who
think homosexuality is completely or mostly controlled by heredity and genes favor gay
rights. Sixty-six percent of Americans surveyed say they strongly favor funding for AIDS
research, but 77% of those who think some people are ``born gay'' strongly support
funding. Fifty-four percent say they strongly favor funding for mental illness research,
compared with the 63% of those who think mental illness is genetically determined.
Forty-one percent of Americans surveyed say they strongly favor funding for alcohol and
drug rehabilitation, compared with 51% and 54% who say alcoholism and drug addiction are
determined by heredity.
The poll found 19% of Americans think overall behavior is completely or
mostly controlled by heredity and genes, but when asked about specific behaviors and
attributes, 35% say alcoholism is, 34% cite mental illness, and 50% say intelligence is.
The behaviors Americans are most likely to say are not affected by heredity and genes are
drug addiction (38% not at all), happiness (36%), criminal behavior (39%), homosexuality
(40%), dependability (40%), and religious behavior (54%).
When asked if insurance companies should cover the costs of treatment,
similar patterns emerge. Sixty-nine percent of Americans say insurance companies should
cover all or most of the costs for treating mental illness, including 78% who think
heredity is primarily responsible agree. Alcoholism coverage: 41% of all Americans support
generous insurance coverage, compared with 53% who attribute alcoholism to heredity. Drug
treatment coverage: 37% of all Americans support coverage, including 50% who see addiction
as heredity.
The survey of 1,000 adults conducted by KRC Research, Feb. 6-9, 1997, is
a joint project of U.S. News & World Report and Bozell Worldwide, a global marketing
organization. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percent. U.S. News teamed up with
Bozell Worldwide in this unique collaboration to examine quality of life issues and
Americans' concerns with values. This is the sixth in the series of surveys.
Some of the poll data will be analyzed in the cover story of the April
21 issue of U.S. News & World Report (on newsstands Monday, April 14), titled
"Born Bad?"
For a copy of the poll and the U.S. News cover story, call
Fax-on-Demand, 800/685-4573, access code 123, document # 805.
Complete poll results are below.
Poll Results
U.S. News/Bozell Worldwide Nature-Nurture Survey
Feb. 6-9, 1997, Margin of error: plus or minus 3.1%
Do you feel things in the country are generally going in the right direction,
or do you feel things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?
Percent
1 Right direction 39
2 Wrong track 47
3 Don't know [Vol] 14
4 Refused [Vol] 1
Generally, do you think scientific research into genes has improved
people's lives, made them worse or had little impact at all?
Percent
1 Improved 61
2 Worse 5
3 No impact 23
4 Don't know [Vol] 11
5 Refused [Vol] 1
Now I am going to read you two different views about the role of heredity
and genes versus environment and society in shaping how people behave.
Please tell me which one comes closest to describing how you feel...
[ROTATE A & B]
A. Heredity and genes generally determine a person's behavior more
than the environment and society a person grows up in. Or,
B. The environment and society a person grows up in has more to do
with a person's behavior than heredity and genes.
Which comes closest to your view... that heredity and genes determine behavior
or that a person's environment and society determine how they behave?
Percent
1 Heredity/genes 18
2 Environment/society 72
3 Both [Vol] 8
4 Neither [Vol] 1
5 Don't know [Vol] 1
6 Refused [Vol] --
Overall, would you say that people's behaviors are completely, mostly, somewhat,
or not at all determined by heredity and genes?
Percent
1 Completely 3
2 Mostly 16
3 Somewhat 68
4 Not at all 10
5 Don't know/Ref [Vol] 3
Now I'm going to read you a list of human behaviors and characteristics.
For each one, I'd like you to tell me whether this behavior is completely,
mostly, somewhat, or not at all determined by heredity and genes.
Let's start with... [READ ITEM, RANDOMIZE]
Percent
[Vol]
Cmplty Mostly Somwht Not at all DK/Ref
Alcoholism 9 24 44 20 2 Drug addiction 4 11 44 38 4
Mental illness 10 24 52 11 4
Violent behavior 5 14 54 24 3
Homosexuality 7 13 29 40 11
Intelligence 11 39 40 9 2
Happiness 5 14 41 36 3
Neurotic behavior 5 18 56 17 4
Criminal behavior 3 8 47 39 3
Religious behavior 6 12 25 54 2
Shyness 5 13 50 29 3
Dependability 5 13 39 41 2
Thinking again specifically about homosexuality, in your opinion is
homosexuality something a person is born with, or is homosexuality
due to other factors such as upbringing or environment?
Percent
1 Born with 33
2 Upbringing/environment 42
3 Both [Vol] 11
4 Neither [Vol] 4
5 Don't know/Ref [Vol] 11
Do you think that insurance companies should cover all, most,
some, or none of the costs for treating... [READ ITEM, RANDOMIZE]
Percent
All Most Some None DK/Ref
Mental illnesses 48 21 27 2 2
Alcoholism 24 17 40 17 3
Drug addiction 22 15 42 18 3
In your opinion, which of the following behaviors can people choose to avoid
and which are beyond a person's control? [READ ITEMS, RANDOMIZE]
Percent
Beyond [Vol] [Vol] [Vol]
Disc Control Both Neither DK/Ref
Alcoholism 81 12 4 1 2
Drug addiction 84 10 4 1 3
Violent behavior 76 14 5 1 4 Shyness 58 31 4 2 5 Recently, research into human genes has shown that there may be a link
between human behaviors like alcoholism or mental illness and a person's genetic makeup. How familiar are you with this research? [READ LIST] 1 Very familiar 7%
2 Somewhat familiar 38
3 Not very familiar 29
4 Not at all familiar 25
5 Don't know/Ref [Vol] 1 Do you think the government should financially support this type of research? 1 Yes 70%
2 No 24
3 Don't know/Ref [Vol] 7 If scientists found a gene that was linked to a behavior like mental illness or alcoholism,
which of the following types of people would you like to see tested for this gene?
[READ ITEMS, RANDOMIZE] [ACCEPT MULTIPLE RESPONSES] 1 Yourself 11%
2 Your child 12%
3 Everyone 49%
4 People applying for health insurance 19%
5 Don't know/Ref [Vol] 29%
Now I'd like to talk to you about some public policy issues.
For each issue I read, please tell me if you strongly favor, somewhat favor,
somewhat oppose or strongly oppose it.Let's start with... [READ ITEM, RANDOMIZE] [Vol]
Neither
Strongly Somewhat favor nor SomewhatStrongly
favor favor oppose oppose oppose DK/Ref The death penalty 46% 24 4 10 13 3 Gay rights 19% 26 8 14 30 3 Funding for AIDS 66% 24 2 3 5 1
research Funding for mental 54% 38 1 4 2 1
illness research Tougher sentences 72% 17 2 5 3 2
for criminals Prisoner 33% 43 4 9 11 1
rehabilitation programs Funding for drug and 41% 42 2 7 8 1
alcohol rehabilitation
programs Limiting immigration 35% 29 5 17 11 Nets Now I'd like to talk to you about some public policy issues.
For each issue I read, please tell me if you strongly favor,
somewhat favor, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose it.
Let's start with... [READ ITEM, RANDOMIZE] Strongly/Somewhat Somewhat/Strongly
Favor Oppose 28. The death penalty 70% 23% 29. Gay rights 45 44 30. Funding for AIDS 90 8
research 31. Funding for mental 92 6
illness research 32. Tougher sentences 88 8
for criminals 33. Prisoner 76 19
rehabilitation programs 34. Funding for drug and 82 15
alcohol rehabilitation
programs 35. Limiting immigration 64 28 And overall, do you think that racial and ethnic differences are mostly due
to culture and family upbringing or mostly due to heredity and genes? 1 Culture/family upbringing 88%
2 Heredity/Genes 6
3 Both [Vol] 3
4 Neither [Vol] 1
5 Don't know/Ref [Vol] 2 Do you personally know someone who is...
[READ ITEMS, RANDOMIZE] [ACCEPT MULTIPLE RESPONSES] 1 A homosexual 59%
2 A drug addict 43%
3 An alcoholic 72%
4 Mentally ill 49%
5 Prone to violent behavior 40%
6 Very shy 63%
7 Very religious 82%
8 Don't know/Ref [Vol] 5% U.S. News/Bozell Worldwide Nature-Nurture Poll KRC Research and Consulting 2/4/97
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