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Refusal of Medical Blood Transfusions Among Jehovah’s Witnesses: Emotion Regulation of the Dissonance of Saving and Sacrificing Life

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An Erratum to this article was published on 14 November 2016

Abstract

This study focuses on the requirement of JWs to refuse medical blood transfusions. We identified a life–death cognitive dissonance among JWs, with the opposing cognitions of being willing to sacrifice life by religious standards, while being unwilling to do so. Using a theory that connects cognitive dissonance with the need to regulate difficult emotions to analyze our qualitative data material, we identified two sets of dissonance reduction strategies among the JWs. Set 1 was tied to the individual-group: selective focus on eternal life, a non-blood support and control system, and increased individualization of treatment choices. Set 2 was in the religion versus medicine intersection: denial of risk combined with optimism, perception of blood as dangerous, and use of medical language to underscore religious doctrine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MF Norwegian School of Theology, P.O.Box. 5144, Majorstuen, N-0302, Oslo, Norway

    Hege Kristin Ringnes & Harald Hegstad

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  1. Hege Kristin Ringnes
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  2. Harald Hegstad
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Correspondence to Hege Kristin Ringnes.

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An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0329-1.

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Ringnes, H.K., Hegstad, H. Refusal of Medical Blood Transfusions Among Jehovah’s Witnesses: Emotion Regulation of the Dissonance of Saving and Sacrificing Life. J Relig Health 55, 1672–1687 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0236-5

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