1. Measuring attitudes Direct measures Semantic differential scale Likert scale Indirect measures Physiological measurements Projective tests psychlotron.org.uk

2. Measuring attitudes How can we find out what people’s attitudes are? What might be the advantages and disadvantages of each method? psychlotron.org.uk

3. Measuring psychological processes Should we observe people or ask people? psychlotron.org.uk

4. Measuring psychological processes Observing people tells you what they do but not necessarily why Asking people might tell you why people do things but only if: They actually know; They tell you the truth psychlotron.org.uk

5. Direct measures of attitudes Involve asking people questions about their attitudes Could be used to obtain quantitative or qualitative data psychlotron.org.uk

6. Attitude scales Direct, quantitative measures of attitudes Ways of turning peoples attitudes into a set of numbers Semantic differential scales Likert scales psychlotron.org.uk

7. Semantic differential scales Kind+3+2+10-2-3Unkind Helpful+3+2+10-2-3Unhelpful Patient+3+2+10-2-3Impatient Calm+3+2+10-2-3Angry Friendly+3+2+10-2-3Threat’ing psychlotron.org.uk

8. Semantic differential scales Chosen attitude object is rated on a series of bipolar adjective pairs Adjective pairs relate to: Evaluation (good or bad) Potency (strong or weak) Activity (active or passive) Evaluation is the most important to most psychologists psychlotron.org.uk

9. Likert scale This teacher is always helpful Strongly agree AgreeUndecide d DisagreeStrongly disagree This teacher is often angry Strongly agree AgreeUndecide d DisagreeStrongly disagree This teacher is always rushing me along Strongly agree AgreeUndecide d DisagreeStrongly disagree psychlotron.org.uk

10. Likert scale Respondent rates a series of statements (about the AO) according to how much they agree Scores for each statement summed to give an overall attitude score psychlotron.org.uk

11. Comparison & comments Both: Fairly easy to create Easy to compare PPs responses Likert: More reliable May oversimplify (one dimensional) Semantic differential: More valid (multi-dimensional) Harder to analyse psychlotron.org.uk