Our Research
Shortly after its inception and under the leadership of Carl Landwehr and key advisors, Vitae began to identify the need for fresh dialogue among those involved in the abortion debate. It seemed as if the methods in public discourse on the issue that were applied after Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973 were becoming increasingly ineffective. Vitae had already identified mass communications as the vehicle for its message, but it was at this time that they were put into contact with Dr. Charles Kenny of The Right Brain People®, commissioning him with their first research study to determine exactly what that message should be.
The Right Brain People® use their proprietary Right Brain Research methodology to understand the emotional factors that determine decisions. Specific to Vitae’s mission of encouraging a culture of life through mass communications, Dr. Kenny and his team were asked to help us better understand the psychological dynamics that motivate women to feel the way they do about abortion. An additional objective was to learn how to better communicate with those who may support abortion as a solution to an unwanted or untimely pregnancy and move them to a more life-affirming position.
A communication strategy was birthed from this initial study that resulted in a complete paradigm shift within our own Pro-life arena. Gone was the often politically-charged rhetoric, absent the accusatory undertones. This new approach was to be woman-centered and non-confrontational, while inviting audiences to think critically about the issue. A summarization of the research findings entitled “Abortion: A Failure to Communicate” was published in the April 1998 edition of First Things magazine.
In addition to other quantitative and qualitative research conducted by Vitae, together with Dr. Kenny, Vitae has continued to research the motivators that drive women’s decisions about pregnancy and influence how they react emotionally to either a personal, unplanned/unwanted pregnancy or to the unplanned/unwanted pregnancy of a friend or family member.













