Study: Grey's Anatomy is turning people against organ donation

[Clark]

http://www.vox.com/2014/5/28/5754292/study-greys-anatomy-is-turning-people-against-organ-donation

Study: Grey's Anatomy is turning people against organ donation
Updated by Dylan Matthews

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"The majority of organ donation coverage on this program depicts doctors as vultures, eager to transplant organs from their patients," they write. "In addition, plots often highlight doctors crossing ethical lines by privileging patients that are their friends as well as affluent patients with organ transplantation over less familiar and affluent individuals."
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[Clark]

http://crx.sagepub.com/content/41/5/690?etoc

Grey’s Anatomy Viewing and Organ Donation Attitude Formation
Examining Mediators Bridging This Relationship Among African Americans, Caucasians, and Latinos
Brian L. Quick1
Susan E. Morgan2
Nicole R. LaVoie1
Dave Bosch3
Communication Research July 2014 vol. 41 no. 5 690-716

Abstract

This study tests a comprehensive model linking Grey’s Anatomy viewing and perceived realism of this program with organ donation knowledge, barriers—including medical mistrust, disgust, bodily integrity, and superstition—and subsequent organ donation attitudes. In addition to testing the hypothesized structural model, ethnic differences were examined by way of (a) the multigroup method to test for differences in path coefficients, (b) multivariate analysis of variance to examine differences among the study variables, and (c) χ2 tests to assess differences in organ donation registrations among African Americans (n = 200), Caucasians (n = 200), and Latinos (n = 200). Support for the overall structural model was found and various differences emerged among the African American, Caucasian, and Latino sample across study variables. The results from this research are discussed with an emphasis on the theoretical and practical implications.