The Measurement of Attitude

109 Pages·1929·5.149 MB·English

by  L. L. Thurstone and E. J. Chave

THE MEASUREMENT OF ATTITUDE

THE MEASUREMENT
OF ATTITUDE
A Psychophysical Method and Some Experiments
("i.citha Scale for Measuring Attitude
toward the Church
By
L. L. THURSTONE
AND
J.
E. CHAVE
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO ~ILLINOIS
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS, CHICAGO 37
Cambridge University Press, London, N.W. I, England
The University of Toronto Press, Toronto 5, Canada
CopyrightI929 byThe University ofChicago. All rightsreserved
Published September I929. Sixth Impression I956. Composed
andprinted by THE UNIVERSITY OFCHICAGOPRESS, Chicago,
Illinois, U.S.A.
PREFACE
The experiments described in this monograph have been con-
ducted jointly by the two authors. The material for the scale and
all the data were compiled by Mr. Chave who made all arrange-
ments for conducting the experimental tests. He was also respon-
sible for supervising the tabulation of the results and he has writ-
ten chapter vi on "Further Studies ofValidity." The chapters on
measurement theory were written by Mr. Thurstone, who is also
responsible for the statistical methods used.
We wish to acknowledge the assistance of instructors and
students who have served as subjects for these experiments by
fillingin the various forms and by sorting the lists ofstatements of
opinion in various ways. Dean Boucher made it possible to con-
duct one form ofthe tests in a Freshman assembly in Mandel Hall
and Mr. Fred Moore arranged for conducting a similar test at the
Chicago Forum. Dean Shailer Mathews and Professor T. G.
Soares placed at our disposal certain funds for the experimental
and statistical work, and the Local Community Research Com-
mittee at the University of Chicago has also sponsored the proj-
ect financially. Professor Faris has kindly consented to 181:us
reprint sections of an article in the American Journal of Sociology
(January, 1928) which described the possibility of measuring
attitude. The studies there described were begun under the
auspices of the Institute for Juvenile Research. We also wish
to express our appreciation of the competent statistical work
of Miss Annette McBroom and Mr. C. W. Brown who have
been responsible for the statistical work on this monograph.
We regard the present. experiments as preliminary in charac-
ter, and a second scale for measuring attitude toward the church
is now in process of constructioa Itjshoped that it will be rela-
tively free from the defeGl'S~ ~ found in the present
vi PREFACE
experimental scale. Our main contribution isprobably in the idea
of using the equally-often-noticed difference or, preferably, the
discriminal error as a unit of measurement for the objective de-
scription of attitude and opinion.
E. J. CHAVE
L. L. THURSTONE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO'
April, 1928
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE V
MEASUREMENT IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. E. J. Chase ix
SUMMARY OF THE MEASUREMENT METHOD. L. L.- Thurstone xi
I. THEORY OF ATTITUDE MEASUREMENT .
The Objective Description ofAttitude .
The Possibility ofMeasuring Attitude. 5
The Attitude Variable
II
AFrequency Distribution ofAttitudes 14
AUnit ofMeasurement forAttitudes . 16
II. CONSTRUCTION OF AN ATTITUDE SCALE 22
CollectionofOpinionsfor the Scale
22
List ofOpinionsabout the Church .
23
The Sorting Procedure 30
The Consistency ofthe Individual Subject
32
III. THE SCALE- VALUES 36
Graphical Determination ofthe Scale-Values 36
Reliability ofthe Scale-Values . 42
AnObjective Criterion ofAmbiguity . 44
An Objective Criterion ofIrrelevance . 45
Informal Criteria for the SelectionofOpinions 56
IV. THE EXPERIMENTAL ATTITUDE SCALE 59
Description ofthe Scale 59
Method ofScoring. 63
Reliability ofthe Score 65
V. ApPLICATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL SCALE 67
SomeActual Distributions ofAttitude. 67
Alternative Forms ofFrequency Distributions 75
Correlation between the Attitude Scoresand Self-ratings 79
Summary ofApplications. 80
VI. FURTHER STUDIES OF VALIDITY . 83
VII. SOME FURTHER PROBLEMS IN THE ME,A.SUREMENT OF ATTITUDE 90
AnAlternative Method ofConstructing the Attitude Scale . 90
The Validity ofthe Scale 91
Two PossibleTypes ofAttitude Scale . 93
INDEX 97
vii

MEASUREMENT IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
In the processes of religious education one of the most signifi-
cant factors to be considered is the development or modification
ofattitudes. The goals of modern religious education do not sim-
ply involve the attainment of certain bodies of knowledge, such
asthe Bible, creeds, and doctrinal statements, history ofreligions,
and other records of religious experience but are more closely re-
lated to the actual behavior ofpersons in society. To measure the
amount of knowledge that any pupil may have received is fairly
easy. The techniques for this kind of measurement are well es-
tablished and it only requires a careful selection of materials to
construct satisfactory tests. The more important concern of re-
ligious educators today is to measure how far habits of conduct
that are in accordance with modern religious ideas have been es-
tablished and how far attitudes and values that express the re-
ligious tendencies considered to be directed toward the realization
of the highest good for the individuals themselves and for the
society of which they are members have been developed in in-
dividuals and in groups ofpersons. These attitudes involve tend-
encies toward the institutions of religion-its symbols, its liter-
ature, its expressed doctrines, its concepts, ideals, programs, and
other phases of religious living. The attitudes taken by persons
indicate the values discovered in their personal and socialreligious
experience.
Religious educators have been for many years changing and
rechanging their methods and materials in their desire to promote
satisfactory religious habits, attitudes, and values in children,
youth, and adults. But as in the field of general education, this
revision has been largely dependent upon guesswork and hopeful
estimates astowhat the results have been and might be. Ifthe re-
sults could be measured more accurately the processes of religious
ix
x MEASUREMENT
education could be more intelligently directed and the desired
effects upon character would be more effectively produced. Even
the rough measuring tools that have so far been developed have
aided in the evaluation of methods. Real progress must wait on
the development ofmore accurate and refined objective measuring
instruments.
Religious education isalso interested in all social attitudes. In
so far as a person has an attitude that is in the direction of the
life-goals approved by religious standards, religious education
seeks to develop and motivate such with religious faith, purpose,
and passion. In sofar as the expression ofany social attitude may
reveal alife set in adirection not approved by religious standards,
religious education seeks to change the tendency and redirect the
life toward the more ideal religious goal. Thus the measurement
of attitudes is a distinct field of interest for religious educators.
This study and experiment recorded herein have been undertaken
with the recognition ofurgent necessity forbetter tools for obtain-
ing more accurate data regarding the existing and changing atti-
tudes in the individuals and groups with which religious education
works.
E. J. CRAVE