Attitude Measurement

Abstract

Attitudes refer to evaluative stances held toward social objects. Earlier writings sought to position the attitude construct in its rightful place among other social psychological concepts. Being at the intersection of sociology and psychology, attitudes have been measured using a variety of methods, at times overlapping and occasionally contrasting in nature. Moreover, some methods are more sensitive to context than others. Major topics of discussion, particularly in the domain of explicit measurement, concern the design of attitude statements within survey research in a way that results in valid and reliable research outcomes. Furthermore, measurement of the implicit rhetorical aspect of social attitudes involves the use of hypothetical scenarios and the presentation of opportunities for participants to justify their points of view. Ongoing debates also concern the influence of social contexts on different attitude measures. Future research is aimed at better understanding and designing attitude measures that are more ecologically valid.