Cognitive and affective attitudes toward genetic testing for different types of hereditary, 2004

The purpose of this study is to predict various groups willingness to undergo a genetic test for various disease scenarios (hypothetical and actual) using a theoretical model: Theory of Planned Behavior. Factors that will be examined include: underlying cognitive and affective attitudes related to the characteristics of the disease, such as mortality and penetrance; characteristics of the participant such as age, education, general knowledge of the subject, personal experience with severe or hereditary illness and personality traits such as tolerance for uncertainty. This survey show that the majority of the participants would like to be informed of their relatives if they should test positive for a genetic test. Only a minority of participants want the doctor breaking confidentiality and informing them against their relatives will. The desire to be informed about the occurrence of hereditary diseases in the family is not affected by the disease penetrance or mortality, but rather by tolerance for uncertainty and general knowledge of the subject.