College Students' Attitudes toward Apparel and the Media

Abstract

This study, developed from Matthews' 1963 study of attitudes toward apparel or clothing, was designed to investigate apparel and media attitudes of 173 college students. A factor analysis of their attitudes recorded on a questionnaire gave six factors or dimensions of attitudes toward apparel. Six factors also resulted from a factor analysis of responses to questions on media attitudes. Analysis also indicated that media influenced everyday lives of the respondents. Individual physical and psychological environments may be major considerations in attitudes toward apparel and media. Television was the most prevalent but not necessarily the most influential medium. Respondents felt that television promoted an image, rather than a product, and acceptance of the image was manifested in individual choices consistent with body type and lifestyle.