14 atitude measurement

Chapter-14:
Attitude Measurement
© 2016 Cengage Learning India Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.

What is An Attitude?
• Attitude
 An enduring disposition to consistently respond in a
given manner to various aspects of the world.
• Components of attitudes:
 Affective Component
 The feelings or emotions toward an object
 Cognitive Component
 Knowledge and beliefs about an object
 Behavioral Component
 Predisposition to action
 Intentions
 Behavioral expectations

Techniques for Measuring Attitudes
• Ranking
 Requiring the respondent to rank order objects in
overall performance on the basis of a characteristic or
stimulus.
• Rating
 Asking the respondent to estimate the magnitude of a
characteristic, or quality, that an object possesses by
indicating on a scale where he or she would rate an
object.

Techniques for Measuring Attitudes
• Sorting
 Presenting the respondent with several concepts
typed on cards and requiring the respondent to
arrange the cards into a number of piles or otherwise
classify the concepts.
• Choice
 Asking a respondent to choose one alternative from
among several alternatives; it is assumed that the
chosen alternative is preferred over the others.

Attitude Rating Scales
• Simple Attitude Scale
 Requires that an individual agree/disagree with a
statement or respond to a single question.
 This type of self-rating scale classifies respondents into one
of two categories (e.g., yes or no).
• Example:
THE PRESIDENT SHOULD RUN FOR RE-ELECTION
_______ AGREE ______ DISAGREE

Attitude Rating Scales (cont’d)
• Category Scale
 A more sensitive measure than a simple scale in that
it can have more than two response categories.
 Question construction is an extremely important factor in
increasing the usefulness of these scales.
• Example:
How important were the following in your decision to visit San Diego?
(check one for each item)
VERY SOMEWHAT NOT TOO
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT
CLIMATE ___________ ___________ ___________
COST OF TRAVEL ___________ ___________ ___________
FAMILY ORIENTED ___________ ___________ ___________
EDUCATIONAL/HISTORICAL ASPECTS ___________ ___________ ___________
FAMILIARITY WITH AREA ___________ ___________ ___________

EXHIBIT 14.1 Selected Category Scales

• Likert Scale
 A popular means for measuring attitudes.
 Respondents indicate their own attitudes by checking
how strongly they agree or disagree with statements.
 Typical response alternatives: “strongly agree,” “agree,”
“uncertain,” “disagree,” and “strongly disagree.”
• Example:
It is more fun to play a tough, competitive tennis match than to play
an easy one.
___Strongly Agree ___Agree ___Not Sure ___Disagree ___Strongly Disagree

EXHIBIT 14.2 Likert Scale Items for Measuring Attitudes toward Patients’ Interaction
with a Physician’s Service Staff

• Semantic Differential
 A series of seven-point rating scales with bipolar
adjectives, such as “good” and “bad,” anchoring the
ends (or poles) of the scale.
 A weight is assigned to each position on the scale.
Traditionally, scores are 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, or +3, +2, +1, 0, -1,
-2, -3.
• Example:
Exciting ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ Calm
Interesting ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ Dull
Simple ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ Complex
Passive ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ Active

EXHIBIT 14.3 Semantic Differential Scales for Measuring Attitudes Toward Supermarkets

Other Scale Types (cont’d)
• Image Profile
 A graphic representation of semantic differential data
for competing brands, products, or stores to highlight
comparisons.
 Because the data are assumed to be interval, either
the arithmetic mean or the median will be used to
compare the profile of one product, brand, or store
with that of a competing product, brand, or store.

EXHIBIT 14.4 Image Profiles of Commuter Airlines versus Major Airlines

• Numerical Scales
 Scales that have numbers as response options,
rather than “semantic space” or verbal descriptions, to
identify categories (response positions).
 In practice, researchers have found that a scale with
numerical labels for intermediate points on the scale is as
effective a measure as the true semantic differential.
• Example:
 Now that you’ve had your automobile for about one year,
please tell us how satisfied you are with your Ford Taurus.
Extremely Dissatisfied 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Extremely Satisfied

• Stapel Scale
 Uses a single adjective as a substitute for the
semantic differential when it is difficult to create pairs
of bipolar adjectives.
 Tends to be easier to conduct and administer than a
semantic differential scale.

EXHIBIT 14.5 A Stapel Scale for Measuring a Store’s Image

• Constant-Sum Scale
 Respondents are asked to divide a constant sum to
indicate the relative importance of attributes.
 Respondents often sort cards, but the task may also be a
rating task (e.g., indicating brand preference).
• Example:
 Divide 100 points among each of the following brands
according to your preference for the brand:
 Brand A _________
 Brand B _________
 Brand C _________

• Graphic Rating Scale
 A measure of attitude that allows respondents to rate
an object by choosing any point along a graphic
continuum.
 Advantage:
 Allows the researcher to choose any interval desired for
scoring purposes.
 Disadvantage:
 There are no standard answers.

EXHIBIT 14.6 Graphic Rating Scale

EXHIBIT 14.7 A Ladder Scale

EXHIBIT 14.8 Graphic Rating Scale with Picture Response Categories
Stressing Visual Communication

EXHIBIT 14.9 Summary of Advantages and Disadvantages of Rating Scales

Measuring Behavioral Intention
• Behavioral Component
 The behavioral expectations (expected future actions)
of an individual toward an attitudinal object.
• Example:
 How likely is it that you will purchase a Honda Fit?
 I definitely will buy
 I probably will buy
 I might buy
 I probably will not buy
 I definitely will not buy

Measuring Behavioral Intention
• Behavioral Differential
 A rating scale instrument similar to a semantic
differential, developed to measure the behavioral
intentions of subjects toward future actions.
 A description of the object to be judged is placed on the top of
a sheet, and the subjects indicate their behavioral intentions
toward this object on a series of scales.
• Example:
A 25 year-old woman sales representative
Would ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : ___ : Would Not
ask this person for advice.

Ranking
• An ordinal scale may be developed by asking
respondents to rank order (from most preferred
to least preferred) a set of objects or attributes.
 Paired comparisons
 Sorting

Paired Comparison
• A measurement technique that involves
presenting the respondent with two objects and
asking the respondent to pick the preferred
object; more than two objects may be presented,
but comparisons are made in pairs.
• Number of comparisons = [(n)(n-1)/2]
• Example:
I would like to know your overall opinion of two brands of adhesive bandages. They
are MedBand and Super-Aid. Overall, which of these two brands—MedBand or
Super-Aid—do you think is the better one? Or are both the same?
MedBand is better _____
Super-Aid is better _____
They are the same _____

Sorting
• Require that respondents indicate their attitudes
or beliefs by arranging items on the basis of
perceived similarity or some other attribute.
• Example:
Here is a sheet that lists several airlines. Next to the name of each airline is a pocket. Here are
ten cards. I would like you to put these cards in the pockets next to the airlines you would prefer to
fly on your next trip. Assume that all of the airlines fly to wherever you would choose to travel. You
can put as many cards as you want next to an airline, or you can put no cards next to an airline.
Cards
American Airlines _____
Delta Airlines _____
United Airlines _____
Southwest Airlines _____
Northwest Airlines _____

Selecting a Measurement Scale
• Some Practical Questions:
 Is a ranking, sorting, rating, or choice technique best?
 Should a monadic or a comparative scale be used?
 What type of category labels, if any, will be used for the rating
scale?
 How many scale categories or response positions are needed to
accurately measure an attitude?
 Should a balanced or unbalanced rating scale be chosen?
 Should a scale that forces a choice among predetermined
options be used?
 Should a single measure or an index measure be used?

Selecting a Measurement Scale (cont’d)
• Monadic Rating Scale
 Asks about a single concept in isolation.
 The respondent is not given a specific frame of
reference.
• Example:
Now that you’ve had your automobile for about 1 year, please
tell us how satisfied you are with its engine power and pickup.

Please indicate how the amount of authority in your present
position compares with the amount of authority that would be
ideal for this position.
TOO MUCH  ABOUT RIGHT  TOO LITTLE 
• Comparative Rating Scale
 Asks respondents to rate a concept in comparison
with a benchmark explicitly used as a frame of
reference.
• Example:

• What Type of Category Labels, If Any?
 Verbal labels for response categories help
respondents better understand the response
positions.
 The maturity and educational levels of the
respondents will influence the labeling decision.
• How Many Scale Categories or Response
Positions?
 Five to eight points are optimal for sensitivity.
 The researcher must determine the number of
positions that is best for the specific project.

• Balanced Rating Scale
 A fixed-alternative rating scale with an equal number
of positive and negative categories; a neutral point or
point of indifference is at the center of the scale.
• Example:
Very Neither Satisfied Very
Satisfied Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
How satisfied are you with the bookstore in the Student Union?

• Unbalanced Rating Scale
 A fixed-alternative rating scale that has more
response categories at one end than the other
resulting in an unequal number of positive and
negative categories.
• Example:
Neither Satisfied Very
Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
How satisfied are you with the bookstore in the Student Union?

• Forced-choice Rating Scale
 A fixed-alternative rating scale that requires
respondents to choose one of the fixed alternatives.
• Non-forced Choice Scale
 A fixed-alternative rating scale that provides a “no
opinion” category or that allows respondents to
indicate that they cannot say which alternative is their
choice.

• Factors affecting the choice of using a single
measure or an index measure:
 The complexity of the issue to be investigated.
 The number of dimensions the issue contains.
 Whether individual attributes of the stimulus are part
of a holistic attitude or are seen as separate items.
 The researcher’s conceptual (problem) definition will
be helpful in making this choice.

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