NCJ Number
68797
Journal
Journal of Drug Education Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (1978) Pages: 289-297
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE PAPER PRESENTS SOME OF THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN OBTAINING AND MEASURING CHANGES IN ATTITUDES ABOUT THE USE OF DRUGS. FINDINGS OF INSIGNIFICANT ATTITUDE CHANGES MAY BE A RESULT OF METHODOLOGY INEFFICIENCIES.
Abstract
DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAMS USUALLY TRY TO CHANGE ATTITUDES (PREDISPOSITIONS TO RESPOND FAVORABLY OR UNFAVORABLY TO A GIVEN SUBJECT) BY INCREASING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DRUGS. MANY STUDIES HAVE FOUND DRUG EDUCATION COURSES TO BE INEFFECTIVE, BUT THE RESULTS MAY REFLECT METHODOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED IN MEASURING ATTITUDES. OF PRIME IMPORTANCE IN ATTITUDE MEASUREMENT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF ATTITUDE SCALES, RESEARCH DESIGN, AND DATA ANALYSIS. THE THURSTONE SCALING PROCEDURE DEVELOPS A TEST WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF UNAMBIGUOUS ITEMS REPRESENTING A WIDE RANGE OF VALUES. SUBJECTS CHECK ITEMS WITH WHICH THEY AGREE, AND THEIR SCORE IS THE MEAN VALUE OF THE ITEMS CHECKED. A RESEARCH DESIGN FREQUENTLY USED IN BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH IS A BETWEEN-SUBJECTS DESIGN WHICH MEASURES CHANGES IN ATTITUDES OF GROUPS, RATHER THAN INDIVIDUALS. IF THE PRETEST AND POSTTEST GROUPS ARE SUBSTANTIAL IN SIZE AND DRAWN FROM THE SAME POPULATION, SUBSTANTIAL PRE-POST DIFFERENCES IN THE DRUG EDUCATION GROUPS CAN BE ASSUMED TO REFLECT ATTITUDE CHANGES. DATA ANALYSIS SHOULD INCLUDE AVERAGE ATTITUDE DIFFERENCES AND ALSO SUBANALYSES BASED ON DRUG TYPE, SUBJECT, AGE, ETC. A STUDY OF A 1-SEMESTER DRUG EDUCATION COURSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO IS USED AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE METHODOLOGY DISCUSSED. ONE TABLE AND EIGHT REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.