NCJ Number
32414
Date Published
1975
Length
413 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT SUMMARIZES A STUDY OF THE VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE MEASUREMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME OF THE INSTRUMENTS EMPLOYED IN A 1969 NATIONAL SURVEY OF ATTITUDES TOWARDS VIOLENCE.
Abstract
ONE OF THE MAJOR EFFORTS OF THIS RESEARCH STUDY WAS TO ESTABLISH THE VALIDITY OF THE TWO CENTRAL DEPENDENT VARIABLES OF THE 1969 SURVEY - A MEASURE OF ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF VIOLENCE TO PRODUCE SOCIAL CHANGE AND A MEASURE OF ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF VIOLENCE TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL CONTROL. INVESTIGATED WAS HOW ACCURATELY THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT REFLECTED THE RESPONDENT'S BELIEFS, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE ATTITUDE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A TENDENCY TOWARD A SPECIFIC BEHAVIOR, AND THE ACCURACY WITH WHICH THE INSTRUMENT REFLECTS THE AFFECTIVE COMPONENT OF THE ATTITUDE. SURVEYED WERE A GROUP OF 283 RESPONDENTS SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS, AND 268 RESPONDENT SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF SOME SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT MIGHT RELATE TO THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD VIOLENCE. AMONG THE LATTER WERE: 67 JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, 36 QUAKERS AND OTHERS WHO ATTENDED QUAKER MEETINGS, 27 PARENTS OF BATTERED CHILDREN AND 32 SELECTED AS CONTROLS FOR THESE PARENTS, 29 STUDENTS WHO HAD PROBABLY PARTICIPATED IN A STREET DISTURBANCE, 25 YOUNG PEOPLE, MAINLY CHICANO, WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN A RIOT, AND 52 PRISONERS WHO HAD BEEN CONFINED TO THE FEDERAL PENITENTIARY IN MILAN, MICHIGAN. SURVEY RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO RESPONDENT CHARACTERISTICS AND ATTITUDINAL AND BEHAVIORAL MEASURES. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS A DISCUSSION OF THE SAMPLE DESIGN AND CHARACTERISTICS, THE INTERVIEW SCHEDULE, A SUMMARY OF THE STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES USED AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE IDENTIFICATION MEASURES. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS ALSO INCLUDED ALONG WITH AN INDEX. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)