THE IMPACT OF ITEM PHRASING ON THE VALIDITY OF ATTITUDE SCALES FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of item phrasing on the validity of a Likert-type attitude scale. Three content similar scales were composed of 15 items, either all positive, all negative, or a mixture of positive and negative items. Five hundred twenty-two students in grades 4–6 responded to one of the three forms. Results from the all positive and negative forms indicated that item means, variances, and factor structures differed significantly. Inspection of item means suggested that it was difficult for the students to indicate agreement by disagreeing with a negative statement. Analyses of the mixed phrasing form indicated factors based upon item phrasing, not item content. Taken together, the results suggest that the technique of balancing item phrasing when used with elementary students appears to affect adversely the validity of attitude measurement.     

Piecing together the puzzle: development of the Societal Attitudes towards Autism (SATA) scale

The rise in the prevalence of autism creates a need for a reliable and valid measure of attitudes towards autism. The current study describes the development of a brief 16‐ item measure of Societal Attitudes towards Autism (SATA) that exhibits sound psychometric properties and has a demonstrated ability to discriminate between expert and general college student samples. The final SATA was the result of pilot work on 75 items and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on a 45‐item version with 475 undergraduates. Knowledge and personal distance subscales yielded inconsistent reliability and validity outcomes. The SATA showed strong content and construct validity as evidenced by known groups discrimination, and predicted associations with an attitude towards disability measure, an autism preference item, and a measure of implicit attitudes towards disabilities.     

Using Structural Equation Modeling to Test for Differential Reliability and Validity: An Empirical Demonstration

Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques provide us with excellent tools for conducting preliminary evaluation of differential validity and reliability of measurement instruments among a comprehensive selection of population groups. This article demonstrates empirically an SEM technique for group comparison of reliability and validity. Data are from a study of 495 mothers' attitudes toward pregnancy. Proportions of African American and White, married and unmarried, and Medicaid and non-Medicaid mothers provided sample sizes large enough for group comparisons. Four hypotheses are tested: that factor structures are invariant between subgroups, that factor loadings are invariant between subgroups, that measurement error is invariant between subgroups, and that means of the latent variable are invariant between subgroups. Discussion of item distributions, sample size issues, and appropriate estimation techniques is included.     

What do I think about inclusive education? It depends on who is asking. Experimental evidence for a social desirability bias in attitudes towards inclusion

Recently, research has focused on attitudes towards inclusive education, and the majority of studies use questionnaires to measure this vital variable. In two consecutive experiments, we showed that attitudes towards inclusive education are not stable but instead are significantly influenced by social context. We manipulated information on the organisation conducting a survey regarding attitudes of participants towards inclusive education. The results show that the attitude of the organisation conducting the survey – as perceived by the participant – outperforms well-documented variables (e.g. sex, age, and contact to a person with disability) in predicting the attitudes of the participant towards inclusion. This one variable explains as much variance as all other predictors combined. We argue that social desirability is a neglected issue in research on attitudes towards inclusive education. Our findings challenge the validity of numerous studies on this topic because they show a positive bias in the attitudes of participants when they were surveyed by a university. Thus, we outline the first steps to reduce social desirability-induced validity problems in research on attitudes towards inclusion.     

Measuring ambivalence to science

Ambivalence is a psychological state in which a person holds mixed feelings (positive and negative) towards some psychological object. Standard methods of attitude measurement, such as Likert and semantic differential scales, ignore the possibility of ambivalence; ambivalent responses cannot be distinguished from neutral ones. This neglect arises out of an assumption that positive and negative affects towards a particular psychological object are bipolar, i.e., unidimensional in opposite directions. This assumption is frequently untenable. Conventional item statistics and measures of test internal consistency are ineffective as checks on this assumption; it is possible for a scale to be multidimensional and still display apparent internal consistency. Factor analysis is a more effective procedure. Methods of measuring ambivalence are suggested, and implications for research are discussed.     

Studying attitude to mathematics

Teachers' attitude to mathematics is increasingly put forward as a dominant factor in children's attitudes to mathematics. Our intention at the beginning of this study was to produce instruments for teachers to use in probing student attitudes as part of their personal professional research and development. To this end we undertook eight small studies of attitude carried out across the educational phases, which we report on here. Reflecting on them led us to challenge the very construct of attitude. We are also led to challenge the cause-and-effect model underlying much attitudinal research. We now see attitude as at best a complex notion, and we conjecture that perhaps it is not a quality of an individual but rather a construct of an observer's desire to formulate a story to account for observations. The difficulty in making attitudinal research precise, and in testing the validity of attitudinally based conjectures, lies therefore in conceptual and hence methodological issues.     

艾滋病态度量表在大学生群体中的修订

研究旨在采用Shrum艾滋病态度量表,修订适合中国大学生群体的测量工具。修订量表共19个项目,信效度良好,可作为我国大学生艾滋病态度的测评工具。研究发现,中国大学生艾滋病态度,在性别、学科和年级上不存显著差异。     

A new methodology, an old story? Gender differences in the “draw-a-computer-user” test

Gender differences in computer-related attitudes have been reported in school children of all ages. Females express more negative attitudes than males when asked to explicitly endorse attitude statements. This gender difference may be compounded by females expressing attitudes consistent with their psychological gender. This study uses an art-based methodology to assess the computer-related attitudes of 395 primary school children (aged 5 to 11). A significant difference occurs in the gender drawn by the children. Whilst 30% of females draw males, only 4% of males draw females. Additionally, older females draw proportionally less smiling faces. These results are consistent with more traditional assessments of attitude which indicate that females’ attitudes towards computers become more negative as they progress through the educational system. The art-based methodology also identified similar proportions of females holding negative attitudes as do more traditional assessments, suggesting ecological validity for the gender differences in computer attitudes. The implications for computer-related education are discussed.     

Influence of measurement errors on HIV risk behavior analysis: A case study examining condom use among drug users

Multiple indicators of HIV risk behaviors are not yet well developed in the field of drug abuse and AIDS prevention, with most research relying on single‐item measures. Weak or inconclusive statistical analyses often result from measurement errors. This study illustrates the problems of biased statistical estimates when single‐item measures with measurement errors are used. Using HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users as an example, this study shows the impact of measurement error on statistical results in path analysis. The results suggest that more attention is needed to address the issue of measurement reliability in survey data. Measurement error should be taken into account in analyzing HIV risk behaviors, and appropriate multiple indicators for a full range of HIV risk behaviors should be developed to deal successfully with the “errors‐in‐variables” problem.     

A model of psychological well-being among international students*

This study aims to investigate the relationship between acculturation attitude (i.e. adjustment and attachment attitudes) and individuals’ psychological adaptation (i.e. life satisfaction, depression and self-esteem). Additionally, the relationship between the dimensions of psychological adaptation with psychological well-being and their mediation effect are examined. Data were collected from 974 randomly selected international students pursuing their Master or Doctoral level studies in six Malaysian public universities using a structured questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was applied to examine the relationships in the research model. The results revealed that both adjustment and attachment attitudes are significantly related to life satisfaction and self-esteem while only adjustment attitude associates with depression. All the three dimensions of psychological adaptation are significantly related to psychological well-being. Moreover, the mediation effect of life satisfaction, self-esteem and depression are supported for the relationship between adjustment attitude and psychological well-being. Study implications and contributions are presented.     

Exploring individual and item factors that affect assessment validity for diverse learners: Results from a large-scale cognitive lab

A cognitive lab technique (n = 156) was used to investigate interactions between individual factors and item factors presumed to affect assessment validity for diverse students, including English language learners. Findings support the concept of access — an interaction between specific construct-irrelevant item features and individual characteristics that either permits or inhibits student response to the targeted measurement content of an assessment item. Access issues of 3rd and 5th grade students were explored at three stages during problem solving on mathematics items: 1) apprehension of task demands; 2) formulation of a solution; and 3) articulation of a solution. Adequacy of access at these levels appears to affect student performance. In particular, where students were able to experience increased apprehension in the first stage through the provision of item variations consistent with their individual access needs, they were more likely to formulate correct solution strategies. The implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.     

Attitude measurement: Judging the emotional intensity of likert-type science attitude statements

Emotional intensity, that readiness of a teacher to respond favorably or unfavorably toward such psychological objects as science or the teaching of science, is the quality that distinguishes the attitude concept from other related psychological concepts. It would seem, then, that valid attitude statements, if they are to reflect the definition of attitude, would evoke emotional intensity, responses in both a favorable and unfavorable direction by a group of teachers on each item on a science attitude scale. Science educators who design or modify science attitude scales should continue using item-total correlations and other quantitative techniques to test for emotional intensity, but qualitative judgments are necessary, too. In addition, the frequency distribution of data generated by each statement should be examined for skewness and high percentages of neutral responses, both of which can impair the emotional intensity of an item.     

Thirty studies involving the “scientific attitude inventory”: What confidence can we have in this instrument?

The purpose of this study is to show how conceptual analysis may be used to investigate the validity of a research instrument. The instrument chosen here, the Scientific Attitude Inventory (SAI), is by far the most popular of its type, yet the studies in which it has been used give reason to question its validity. Using the conceptual perspectives developed in the study, it is possible to show that many of the items which might be thought to tap attitudes can be interpreted quite differently. In this way, the discrepant results obtained by using the SAI in quantitative research can be explained. The report concludes that we can be less than certain of what is measured by the SAI, and that it needs reworking before it can be used with confidence. The report ends with some general concerns about attitude measurement and its place in science education research.     

CONTACT QUALITY AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ELDERLY

The contact hypothesis (Allport, 1954) states that cooperative contact with individual members of an out-group can lead to a general more positive attitude toward the out-group as a whole. The research reported in this article investigated the validity of the contact hypothesis within the context of interage interactions. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between young adults' contact with older adults and their attitudes toward the elderly in general. Previous research has emphasized that various factors related to contact quality strongly influence the formation of positive attitudes. In accordance with this assertion, we hypothesized that a single factor, participants' self-reported quality of contact with older individuals, would be related to their attitudes toward the elderly as measured by an implicit attitude scale. Participants' self-reported frequency of contact with older adults was expected to have no effect on their attitudes. College-aged participants were given a single questionnaire that assessed (a) the frequency and quality of their contact with elderly men and women and (b) their implicit attitudes toward the elderly. The results confirmed that self-reported favorable quality, but not frequency, of contact was significantly related to more positive attitudes toward the elderly.     

The dimensions of reading attitude for children in the intermediate grades

This study represents the first phase of an ongoing research program aimed at identifying the dimensions of reading attitude and determining how these dimensions relate to a broader range of variables such as reading achievement, scholastic aptitude, classroom behavior, and cognitive styles. The 150 items which comprise the experimental edition of A Survey of Reading Altitudes (Wallbrown, Brown, & Engin, 1974) were factor analyzed along with measures of scholastic aptitude, reading vocabulary, and reading comprehension. The analysis was based on the responses of 853 intermediate grade students. The attitude items were presented orally to control for reading problems, but the students also had booklets so they could read the items to themselves. Seven independent dimensions of reading attitude and one reading achievement factor were identified, interpreted, and discussed. The findings are encouraging, since they suggest that investigating the expressed reading attitudes of intermediate grade children constitutes a promising line of educational research.     

Slicing the attitude pie: A new approach to attitude measurement

A new approach to attitude measurement is presented that provides a comprehensive index of favorability and salience, the primary attributes relevant to the study of any attitudinal issue. The new technique effectively separates “indifferent” research subjects from those who are “neutral” toward attitudinal issues. Methodological advantages and theoretical applications of the new technique are discussed in relation to research in interpersonal communication, persuasion and attitude change, and mass communication. Reliability and validity of “attitude pie” were tested vis‐à‐vis semantic differential and Likert‐type scales using a variant of the multitrait‐multimethod (MTMM) procedure. A large reliability and validity study involving 10 attitude traits, four methods, and more than 100 subjects at three points in time over a two‐month period was undertaken. Reliability for “positivity” and “salience” of the new technique compared favorably with standard scales. Validity of the new technique was acceptable on the evaluative dimension for individuals and groups. Validity of the salience dimension was demonstrated for grouped data.     

Using psychometric technology in educational assessment: The case of a schema-based isomorphic approach to the automatic generation of quantitative reasoning items

This article deals with the investigation of the psychometric quality and constructs validity of algebra word problems generated by means of a schema-based version of the automatic min–max approach. Based on review of the research literature in algebra word problem solving and automatic item generation this new approach is introduced as a theory-based top–down method of automatic item generation featuring a quality control framework aimed to minimize the construct unrelated variance in the item parameters. The first study deals with the evaluation of an initial set of items. The results are replicated in the second study using a larger item set which also allows the investigation of the construct representation of the generated item. Since construct unrelated variance components (e.g. reading comprehension) have been controlled for in the item generation phase the results revealed some interesting insights into the cognitive processes of the actual mathematization phase of algebra word problem solving. The third study investigated the nomothetic span is using hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis. The results argue for the convergent and discriminant validity of the automatically generated items. Taken together, the results indicate that the automatic generation of construct valid algebra word problems at a high psychometric level is viable. The discussion is thus concerned with the implications of this new approach to item generation for theory development and evaluation as well as practical benefits for educational assessment and the development of intelligent tutoring systems.     

Testing the Equivalence Among Different Item Response Formats in Personality Measurement: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

This study discusses a procedure for testing the equivalence among different item response formats used in personality and attitude measurement. The procedure is based on the assumption that latent response variables underlie the observed item responses (underlying variables approach) and uses a nested series of confirmatory factor analysis models derived from Joreskog's (1971) method for estimating the dissatenuated correlation. The different stages of the procedure are illustrated using real data.     

Accentuate the Negative to Latch onto the Affirmative (How to Save Mockingbirds)

Role play is a potent, widely employed technique in the teaching of controversial issues. Attitude modification is often cited as a major reason for using role play. But how can we expect attitudes to change if students, either through teacher accident or their own design, are allocated roles which reinforce attitudes with which they already identify? One possible remedy is to organise groups so that students are required to identify closely with value positions and attitudes with which they may not sympathise. The purpose of this paper is to outline a simple values clarification technique which can be used to assess students’ attitudes towards a controversial issue. Once this assessment has been completed, its results can be used for group selection. Subsequently the same technique can be used to assess the degree of attitude change. The approach outlined has the virtue of being a pedagogical technique which can also be used for group differentiation, summative evaluation and research. This approach will be illustrated by referring to the study of a controversial issue in Scotland by fourth year B.Ed. (Primary) students from Moray House Institute. Theoretical questions about how role play contributes to attitude change are also examined in the paper.