CONSTRUCTION OF LIKERT-TYPE ATTITUDE SCALES - AN EXAMINATION OF ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUES OF ITEM SELECTION

• NCJ Number: 15360
• Author(s): C W THOMAS; L D NELSON; J S WILLIAMS
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 31 pages
• Grant Number(s): 73-NI-03-0002
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A METHODOLOGICAL NOTE ON THE REFINEMENT OF A BASIC STATISTICAL TECHNIQUE, VIZ. THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITEM SELECTION TECHNIQUES FOR LIKERT-TYPE ATTITUDE SCALES.

Abstract

IT WAS FOUND THAT LIKERT-TYPE ATTITUDE SCALES SEEM TO BE MORE RELIABLE AND FUNCTION MORE EFFECTIVELY AS PREDICTORS OF BEHAVIOR THAN GUTTMAN SCALES, THURSTONE SCALES, THE SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL AND SELF-RATING MEASURES. THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CHOICE OF CRITERIA BY MEANS OF WHICH TO DEFINE DISCRIMINATORY ITEMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FINAL SUMMATED SCALE SCORE. A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE LOGIC WHICH UNDERLIES EACH OF THREE ITEM SELECTION PROCEDURES IS PRESENTED. THE APPENDIXES CONTAIN DRUG ATTITUDE AND LAW ATTITUDE SURVEY QUESTIONS.