5.0 Overview

The main pattern in this research is one of fragmentation, there being virtually no consensus among any groups on any single issue relating to human embryo research. However, this does not reflect strong disagreement so much as a potent mixture of low awareness and high levels of curiosity, causing opinions to constantly shift, even as they form.

In a clear example of the deficit theory of science education (which holds that people are opposed to technological developments in direct correlation with their understanding of the science being undertaken) it was discovered that information at least opens people up to considering human embryo research as an important possibility, and in some cases, converts people from an oppositional standpoint to a supportive one (albeit conditional).

The current awareness of human embryo research is so limited as to have a mythical quality, in that awareness is based more on fictional narratives and images than facts and actual scientific developments and capabilities. By the end of each focus group, there was both greater understanding and greater curiosity about the subject as a whole. People reported that the focus groups motivated them to pursue more information and to more actively develop informed opinions. At the end of each group, TNS researchers distributed the brochure provided by the Bioethics Council secretariat, and encouraged participants to visit the Bioethics Council website to find more information about the topic. In addition, researchers informed participants about the Talking Embryos seminar held in Wellington on 25 September.

The focus group sample may be segmented into four types, in terms of their opinion on the development of human embryo research:

Strongly opposed:

Those most likely to either have strong spiritual convictions (a trait strongly represented in the Māori and Pacific Peoples sample) or to not yet have reached an age where they think seriously about children (strongly represented among younger participants).

Strongly supportive:

This segment is most prevalent among those working in technical professions and to have some (albeit limited) understanding of the science.

Oscillating:

This is by far the greatest majority, more likely to include newly converted supporters than newly converted opponents.

Detached:

This segment is most likely to include younger people not yet thinking about reproduction, especially predominant in males.

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