Attitude Scale: A Measure of Cognitive and Affective Evaluations
Abstract
Attitude is a complex psychological construct that is composed of both cognitive and affective components. Attitude scales, which measure the strength of a person’s attitude, are widely used in psychological research and practice. This article reviews the literature on attitude scales, focusing on their history, structure, reliability, and validity. The article also discusses the various types of attitude scales and their uses in research and practice.
Introduction
Attitude is a psychological construct that involves both cognitive and affective components (Ajzen, 1988). Attitude can be defined as an overall evaluation of a person’s thoughts about a particular person, object, event, or issue (Rosenberg & Hovland, 1960). Attitude can be either positive or negative, depending on the individual’s beliefs and feelings about the object or issue. Attitude scales are used to measure the strength of a person’s attitude. Attitude scales are used extensively in psychological research and practice, and they are one of the most commonly used measures in the social sciences (Bowling, 2004).
History
The use of attitude scales dates back to the early 20th century. One of the earliest attitude scales was the Likert Scale, developed by Rensis Likert in 1932. The Likert Scale is a 5-point scale that is used to measure a person’s attitude towards a particular topic. This scale is still widely used today. Other early attitude scales include the Thurstone Scale (1929) and the Guttman Scale (1946).
Structure
Attitude scales typically consist of a series of items or statements that are used to measure a person’s attitudes. The items on an attitude scale can be either open-ended or closed-ended. Open-ended items allow the respondent to provide their own answers, while closed-ended items require the respondent to choose from a set of pre-determined responses (Ajzen, 1988). Attitude scales may also consist of multiple scales that measure different aspects of attitude, such as cognitive and affective components.
Reliability
Attitude scales are generally reliable measures of attitude. The reliability of an attitude scale is typically measured using internal consistency, which measures the consistency of responses across items on a scale. Internal consistency can be measured using a variety of methods, such as Cronbach’s alpha (Cronbach, 1951).
Validity
Attitude scales are also generally valid measures of attitude. Validity refers to the extent to which an attitude scale accurately measures the construct it is intended to measure. Validity can be measured using a variety of methods, such as content validity and criterion validity (Anastasi & Urbina, 1997).
Types
There are several different types of attitude scales that are used in research and practice. For example, the Likert Scale is a type of attitude scale that is used to measure a person’s attitudes towards a particular topic. Other types of attitude scales include the Thurstone Scale, the Guttman Scale, the Semantic Differential Scale, the Stapel Scale, and the Fishbein Scale (Ajzen, 1988).
Uses
Attitude scales are used in a variety of research and practice contexts. For example, attitude scales are commonly used in market research to measure consumer attitudes towards a particular product or service. Attitude scales are also used in clinical settings to measure a person’s attitudes towards a particular issue or problem. Finally, attitude scales are used in educational settings to measure student attitudes towards a particular topic or subject.
Conclusion
Attitude scales are widely used in psychological research and practice. Attitude scales are generally reliable and valid measures of attitude. There are several different types of attitude scales that are used in research and practice, and these scales can be used in a variety of contexts.
References
Anastasi, A., & Urbina, S. (1997). Psychological testing (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Ajzen, I. (1988). Attitudes, personality, and behavior. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Bowling, A. (2004). Measuring health: A review of quality of life measurement scales (2nd ed.). Buckingham: Open University Press.
Cronbach, L. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297-334.
Rosenberg, M., & Hovland, C. (1960). Cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of attitude. In M. Rosenberg & C. Hovland (Eds.), Attitude organization and change: An analysis of consistency among attitude components (pp. 1-14). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.