Racial Bias and Deservingness: Perceptions of Organ Transplant Recipients

• In Event: Public Perceptions and Health Communication

Abstract

Currently, there is a shortage of organs available for transplantation in the United States. This means that there are currently 113,000 individuals on the waiting list to receive an organ (i.e., kidney, heart, lung, etc.), with 82% of patients waiting for a kidney. Efforts to reform the organ donation process and encourage more individual participation within the system are vital to its success.

Using an online sample of more than 4,000 respondents, we tested different messages about potential organ donation recipients. In our experimental treatments, we altered the race and ethnicity of the potential organ recipient (White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian), the type of transplant (liver, lung (2x), or kidney), and whether the disease was caused by personal decisions or factors outside of their control (genetics, work environment, preventable illness, or substance use).

We expect that respondents will look at individuals who need a transplant and have a disease that is due to factors outside of their control as more deserving of an organ transplant than those who have a disease due to their own personal choices. Likewise, we expect those respondents with high levels of racial prejudice against racial and ethnic minorities will feel minorities are less deserving of an organ transplant.

Authors

• Steven M. Sylvester, Utah Valley University

• Simon F. Haeder, Texas A&M University