NCJ Number
58076
Date Published
1978
Length
184 pages
Annotation
PART OF AN EIGHT-VOLUME SERIES ON PROGRAM EVALUATION, THIS BOOK TELLS HOW TO DESIGN CREDIBLE INSTRUMENTS TO FIND OUT ABOUT ATTITUDES AND TO TELL WHETHER ATTITUDE AND AFFECTIVE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN MET.
Abstract
SINCE MOST EVALUATIONS ARE BETTER SERVED BY USING AN EXISTING MEASURE RATHER THAN CREATING A NEW ONE, BEFORE GIVING STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTING THEM INHOUSE THIS BOOK PRESENTS INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINDING ALREADY AVAILABLE MEASURES. DESCRIPTIONS OF COMMONLY AVAILABLE ATTITUDE MEASURES OF ALL TYPES ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH TIPS ON HOW TO FIND THEM AND A LIST OF REFERENCE BOOKS THAT NAME HUNDREDS OF OTHER MEASURES. THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR DEVELOPING ATTITUDE MEASURES INHOUSE FOCUS ON QUESTIONNAIRES, INTERVIEWS, WRITTEN REPORTS, OBSERVATION PROCEDURES, SOCIOMETRIC INSTRUMENTS, AND ATTITUDE RATING SCALES, INCLUDING ORDERED SCALES, AGREEMENT SCALES, AND SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL SCALES. DISCUSSION OF THE VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF ATTITUDE INSTRUMENTS ADDRESSES THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: (1) IS THE INSTRUMENT AN APPROPRIATE ONE TO MEASURE WHAT AN EVALUATOR WANTS TO KNOW? (2) DOES THE INSTRUMENT PRODUCE CONSISTENT RESULTS? INTERPRETING VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY DATA ABOUT PUBLISHED ATTITUDE TESTS IS ALSO DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH SUMMARIZING, ANALYZING, AND DISPLAYING ATTITUDE DATA. THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PUBLISHERS OF ATTITUDES MEASURES ARE APPENDED. AN INDEX IS INCLUDED.