The characteristics of our sample group: gender, classified age, education, hospital work, ethnicity, sect, self-identified religiosity, and political conservatism (n = 491); are shown in Table 1.
The participant's knowledge of the theory (being trained) and practice (recognizing an organ donor) about organ donation is specified in Table 2.
In general, the participants' rate of accepting brain death as a biological death as a general approach (GS1) and their attitudes about themselves (GS2) is as follows in Table 3.
Independent groups t-test and/or one-way ANOVA analysis were applied to examine the differentiation status of our sample group's responses to general attitude statements about brain death according to gender, age, education, job in the hospital, ethnicity, sect, and characteristics. While no significant difference was observed according to gender, age, ethnicity, and sect variables, it was observed that they differed in terms of education and work in the hospital. As a result of the LSD analysis conducted to determine the sources of the differences, the average of associate degree graduates and university and higher graduates who answered positively for both GS1 and GS2 was found to be significantly higher than the average of primary school graduates; the average of associate degree graduates and university and higher graduates was found to be significantly higher than the average of high school graduates. Education level was found to have a moderate effect on variables GS1 and GS2.
For the job variable of the participants in the hospital; the average of the technician and nurse, midwife and pharmacist group, and administrative staff group for GS1 was found to be significantly higher than the average of the service personnel; the average of the doctor group was found to be significantly higher than the average of the technician and nurse group and midwife and pharmacist group and administrative staff group for GS2 was found to be significantly higher than the average of the service personnel. The occupational variable was found to have a high effect size on the GS1 variable and a moderate effect size on the GS2 variable. Significant findings obtained from the analysis are given in Table 4.
The responses of the participants to the attitude questions based on the sample story in which the concept of brain death is explained in detail and with clear examples, similar to those defined by Nair-Collins et al. in 2015, are given in Table 5.
Independent groups t-test or one-way ANOVA was applied to examine the differentiation status of the sample group's responses to statements about brain death and possible organ donation in the context of a sample story, according to gender, age, education, work in the hospital, ethnicity, sect, and characteristics. Although there were no significant differences in the variables of gender, age, ethnicity, and religious affiliation, it was observed that they differed in terms of education, work done in the hospital, and the geographic region from which they came. Significant findings obtained from the analysis are given in Table 6.
As seen in the Table, a one-way ANOVA was conducted to examine the differentiation status of the sample group's responses to the statements in the context of the sample story about brain death and subsequent organ donation, according to education level. As a result of the analysis, the differences between the means of the training groups for the answers given to the items (Q1) (F = 4.54; p < .01); (Story3) (F = 2.78; p < .01); (Q5) (F = 6.10; p < .001) and (Q6) (F = 6.71; p < .001) were found significant. As a result of the LSD analysis conducted to determine the sources of the differences, for the Q1, Q3, Q5, and Q6 the average of the associate degree graduates and university and higher graduates was found to be significantly higher than the average of the primary school graduates, while the average of the high school graduates was found to be higher than that of the associate degree graduates and university and higher graduated. It was determined that the level of education had a moderate effect size on the variables of Q1, Q3, Q5, and Q6.
As can be seen in the table, a one-way ANOVA was conducted to examine the differentiation status of the sample group's responses to the statements about brain death and subsequent organ donation in the context of the sample story. As a result of the analysis (Q1) (F = 10.05; p < .001); (Q2) (F = 3.01; p < .05); (Q3) (F = 7.02; p < .001); (Q4) (F = 4.14; p < .001); (Q5) (F = 7.74; p < .001) and (Q6) (F = 7.41; p < .001), the differences between the averages of occupational groups were found to be significant. As a result of the LSD analysis performed to determine the sources of the differences, for the Q1, the average of the doctor group was found to be significantly higher than the technician and nurse, midwife and pharmacist group, service personnel and administrative personnel group, for Q2, the average of the technician and nurse, midwife and pharmacist group and administrative staff group was found to be significantly higher than the average of the doctor group, for Q3, the average of the doctor group was found to be significantly higher than the average of the technician and nurse, midwife and pharmacist, service personnel and administrative staff group, and the average of the technician and nurse, midwife and pharmacist group and administrative staff group, was found to be significantly higher than the average of the service personnel group, for Q4, the average of the doctor group was found to be significantly higher than the average of the technician and nurse, midwife and pharmacist, service personnel and administrative personnel group, for Q5, the average of the doctor group was found to be significantly higher than the average of the technician and nurse, midwife and pharmacist, service personnel and administrative staff group, and the average of the technician and nurse, midwife and pharmacist group and administrative staff group was found to be significantly higher than the average of the service personnel group, for Q6, the average of the technician and nurse, midwife and pharmacist group, doctor group and administrative staff group was found to be significantly higher than the average of the service personnel group. It was determined that the profession had a high effect size on the Q1 variable and moderate effect size on the Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, and Q6 variables.
As can be seen in the Table 7, the Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationships between the perception of religiosity & political conservatism, and general attitude statements about age and brain death. As a result of the analysis, a significant positive correlation between political conservatism and GS1 was found. (r = .128; p < .01); GS2 (r = .164; p < .001); Q1 (r = .198; p < .001); Q3 (r = − .134; p < .01); Q4 (r = .148, p < .01); Q5 (r = .122; p < .01) and Q6 (r = .114; p < .05) As the political conservatism scores increase, the GS1, GS2, Q1, Q3, Q4, Q5, and Q6 scores increase significantly. On the other hand, religiosity and GS1 (r = − .137; p < .01); GS2 (r = − .137; p < .01); Q4 (r = − .101; p < .05) and Q5 (r = − .132; p < .05) showed a negative and significant correlation. As the religiousness score increases, GS1, GS2, Q4 and Q5 scores decrease significantly.