Background. Attitude towards organ donation is predominantly positive in the UK, however, donation rate remains low. To develop more effective interventions, this research aims to examine the behavioural barriers in organ donations using Q methodology to elicit patterns of overlap among different barriers and motivators.

Method. A Q methodology study was conducted with 40 participants aged 19–64 were asked to rank 47 statements on issues that are associated with organ donation. By-person factor analysis using Centroid method and Varimax rotation was conducted to bring out patterns in the way statements were ranked to obtain groupings of participants who had arranged the statements in similar fashion.

Results. Four viewpoints were extracted: The Realist, the Optimist Hesitant, the Pessimist Determinant and the Empathetic. Salient barriers to organ donation presented in each viewpoint suggest that perceived lack of knowledge, anxiety, mistrust in the healthcare system and lack of cue to action are the main barriers to organ donation. Consensus statements suggest that religion and family agreement are inconsequential if attitude to organ donation is well formed.

Conclusion. There are different attitudes around deceased organ donation that were uncovered using Q methodology. These results suggest that people respond to behavioural change campaigns differently depending in their own perceptions on organ donation. We argue that a paradigm shift in behavioural interventions is underpinned by understanding the overlapping yet distinctive nature perceived perspectives.