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