Measuring attitudes  Direct  Semantic differential scale

Measuring attitudes Direct Semantic differential scale Likert scale Indirect measures Physiological measurements Projective tests psychlotron.org.uk measures

Measuring attitudes can we find out what people’s attitudes are? What might be the advantages and disadvantages of each method? psychlotron.org.uk How

Measuring psychological processes we observe people or ask people? psychlotron.org.uk Should

Measuring psychological processes Observing people tells you what they do but not necessarily why Asking people might tell you why people do things but only if: They actually know; They tell you the truth psychlotron.org.uk

Direct measures of attitudes asking people questions about their attitudes Could be used to obtain quantitative or qualitative data psychlotron.org.uk Involve

Attitude scales Direct, quantitative measures of attitudes Ways of turning peoples attitudes into a set of numbers Semantic differential scales Likert scales psychlotron.org.uk

Kind 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 Unkind Helpful 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 Unhelpful Patient 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 Impatient Calm 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 Angry Friendly 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 Threat’in g psychlotron.org.uk Semantic differential scales

Semantic differential scales Chosen attitude object is rated on a series of bipolar adjective pairs Adjective pairs relate to: Evaluation (good or bad) Potency (strong or weak) Activity (active or passive) Evaluation is the most important to most psychologists psychlotron.org.uk

This teacher is always helpful Strongly agree Agree Undecide d Disagree Strongly disagree This teacher is often angry Strongly agree Agree Undecide d Disagree Strongly disagree This teacher is always rushing me along Strongly agree Agree Undecide d Disagree Strongly disagree psychlotron.org.uk Likert scale

Likert scale rates a series of statements (about the AO) according to how much they agree Scores for each statement summed to give an overall attitude score psychlotron.org.uk Respondent

Comparison & comments Both: Fairly easy to create Easy to compare PPs responses Likert: More reliable May oversimplify (one dimensional) Semantic differential: More valid (multi-dimensional) Harder to analyse psychlotron.org.uk