What problems might arise in trying to measure attitudes?

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What problems might arise in trying to measure attitudes?

The question what problems might arise in trying to measure attitudes itself conjures up many complicated questions that seem tricky to answer. The complicated task is that we are all unique and have our individual differences.

A basic assumption on measuring attitudes is that 'a person's attitude can be measured by asking questions about thoughts, feelings and likely actions toward the attitude object

(Hoff and Vaughan, 1995, Chapter 5)

From this assumption it is obvious that measuring attitudes is not directly observable. Even if we think we know someone's attitude this does not mean we can predict their behaviour.

Measuring attitudes plays a large part in social psychology. Techniques have been developed in order to measure attitudes. "attitudes can be measured by a quantitative technique for example each persons opinion can be represented by a numerical scale"

(Hoff and Vaughan, 1995, Chapter 5.)

One of the initiators of attitude measurement was L.L Thurstone, he termed attitude measurement as "attitude is the intensity of positive or negative affect for or against a psychological object" (1946, page 39, http://webspace.utexas.edu/brixey9/www/frame.html.)

This section of attitude measurement is extremely vast and there is many aspects such as self reported test, indirect and multiple-indictor tests, likert scales, thurstones scale of attitude measurement and semantic differentials.

To measure the cognitive component of attitudes rating scales have been developed. The first mayor and a popular technique off attitude measurement was that of L.L Thurstone (1928), L.L Thurstone made this distinction between attitudes and opinions, 'he adds and attitude is "the sum total of a mans inclinations and feelings prejudice or bias, preconceived notions, ideas, fears, threats and convictions about any specified topic." He states a opinion as a "verbal expression of attitude." (http://webspace.utexas.edu/brixey9/www/frame.html.)

He theorised that 'the best way to measure a persons attitude was to evaluate their opinions. (http://webspace.utexas.edu/brixey9/www/frame.html.)

Thurston, to obtain a person attitude got together 130 statement he presenting favourable and unfavourable attitudes, a large group of judges sorted these statement into categories labelled A to K, F was a neural position. Next twenty of the statements that had the greatest agreement form the judges made the final scale, each was given a value arrived at by averaging all of values,
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(Birch, A & Malim, T, 1998:659)

the judges ratings. Next the participants were presented with the statements in a random order and asked to indicate those with which they agreed. The numerical values attached to these statements were then averaged and a measure of participants attitude was measured and obtained. (Birch, A & Malim, T, 1998:659)

The problem that may arise here is in measuring attitudes is that the group of judges may be biased in their own opinions and views. Also problems could arise from the participants, the method is ambiguous. Thurston wanted the method ...

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