978-1111826925 Chapter 14 Solution Manual

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS

1. What is an attitude? Is there a consensus concerning its definition?

For social scientists, an attitude as an enduring disposition to consistently respond in a given

manner to various aspects of the world, including persons, events, and objects. It is generally

Many variables that researchers wish to investigate are psychological variables that cannot be

observed directly (i.e., attitudes). To measure an attitude, we make an inference based on the way

2. Distinguish between rating and ranking. Which is a better attitude measurement technique?

Why?

Rating asks the respondent to estimate the magnitude or the extent to which some characteristic

exists. A quantitative score results. The rating task involves marking a response indicating one’s

4. How would you perform reverse recoding using statistical software like SAS or SPSS?

One of the Research Snapshots from Chapter 13 listed the steps in SPSS necessary to reverse

5. What advantages do numerical scales have over semantic differential scales?

Numerical scales and semantic differential scales are very similar, especially when they have

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6. Identify the issues a researcher should consider when choosing a measurement scale.

There are several issues that will be helpful to consider:

1. Is a ranking, sorting, rating, or choice technique best?

2. Should a monadic or a comparative scale be used?

Each of these issues is discussed in the chapter. A summary of these issues appears in the lecture

outline for this chapter.

7. Should a Likert scale ever be treated as though it had ordinal properties?

Some would argue that that is the highest level of this type of scale. However, in practice there is

the assumption that Likert scales have interval properties. The reason is that some research has

8. In each of the following identify what type of scale and evaluate it:

a. A U.S. representative’s questionnaire sent to constituents:

Do you favor or oppose the Fair Tax Proposal?

  

How favorable are you toward the Fair Tax Proposal?

This is a semantic differential item. The semantic differential is actually a series of attitude

duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

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b. I believe the Fair Tax Proposal will reduce the federal deficit.

This is a Likert scale item. Typically, a Likert scale includes several scale items to form a

9. What is the difference a measured variable and a latent construct?

Many variables that researchers wish to investigate are psychological variables that cannot be

10. If a Likert summative scale has 10 scale items, do all 10 have to be phrased as either

positive or negative statements, or can the scale contain a mix of positive and negative

statements, or can the scale contain a mix of positive and negative statements?

Students frequently ask this question. They confuse the notion of coding in a consistent direction

with designing scale items that elicit valid and reliable responses. Having all positive statements

11. If a semantic differential scale has 10 scale items, should all the positive adjectives be on

the right and all the negative adjectives on the left?

This question is also one students often ask. They confuse the notion of coding all items in the

12. [Ethics Question] A researcher thinks many respondents will answer “don’t know” or

“can’t say” if these options are printed on an attitude scale along with categories indicating

agreement. The researcher does not print either “don’t know” or “can’t say” on the

questionnaire because the resulting data will be more complicated to analyze and report. Is

this proper?

This is a common tactic in research. The researcher’s objective is to discourage “don’t know”

answers. Most researchers will, however, record don’t know responses if they are handwritten on

duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

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13. [Internet Activity] Strategic Business Insights investigates U.S. consumers by asking

questions about their attitudes and values. It has a website so people can VALS-type

themselves. To find out your VALS type, go to

http://www.strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/presurvey.shtml.

The VALS classification has 8 groups: Innovators, Thinkers, Believers, Achievers, Strivers,

Experiencers, Makers, and Survivors. You may recall different names for a few of the categories.

duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

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RESEARCH ACTIVITY

1. A researcher wishes to compare two hotels on the following attributes:

Convenience of location

a. Design a Likert scale to accomplish this task.

The Hilton Hotel has a convenient location.

The Hilton employees are friendly.

The Hilton Hotel is a good value for the money.

Another set of Likert items would be used to measure attitudes toward a second hotel.

b. Design a semantic differential to accomplish this task.

I think that Hilton Hotels have:

A convenient An inconvenient

location ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ location

duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

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This would be repeated for another hotel.

c. Design a graphic rating scale to accomplish this task.

I think that Hilton Hotels have:

A convenient An inconvenient

location ___________________________________ location

CASE 14.1 ROEDER-JOHNSON CORPORATION

Objective: To get students thinking about how the types of questions asked and the means

through which they are asked can influence results.

Summary: Entrepreneurs start companies every year, and they make their case to the investment

community. Is high-tech still important? Public relations firm Roeder-Johnson Corporation,

which specializes in start-up companies and those involved in technology innovation, conducted

an online survey into the attitudes of 70 subjects, including venture capitalists, entrepreneurs,

journalists, and company analysts. In addition to asking respondents for reasons why technology

is important to start-ups and inviting comments from the respondents, the central question was:

Do you believe that unique technology is crucial to the success of start-up companies today?

1. Rarely

2. Occasionally

3. Frequently

4. Usually

5. Always

Ninety-one percent considered technology to be important at least frequently (i.e., 39%

frequently, 39% usually, and 13% always).

Questions

1. Evaluate the rating scale used for the question in this survey. Is it balanced? Are the category

labels clear? Is the number of categories appropriate?

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This category scale is a more sensitive measure than a scale that has only two response

2. Suggest three ways that Roeder-Johnson could improve this survey without a major cost

increase.

Some suggestions are to use more and/or different types of questions, administer the survey

3. Based on the information given here, what do you think the research objectives for this

survey might have been? Do you think the survey met its objectives? Explain.

Students’ responses will vary, but one possible objective for this survey might have been to

CASE 14.2 ATTITUDES TOWARD TECHNOLOGY AND

LIFESTYLE

Objective: This case is designed to help students understand psychographics and how to

construct an index measure.

Summary: A consumer panel wanted to measure its members’ attitudes toward technology. A

research company sent attitude scales to members of its consumer panel. (see Exhibit 14.3-1).

Other questions on the questionnaire were about ownership and/or use of computers, consumer

electronic devices, satellite TV ownership, cellular phones, and Internet activity.

Questions

1. What type of attitude scale appears in the case study?

The scale is a numeric scale, which is a variation of the semantic differential. A pure semantic

2. Evaluate the list of statements. Do the statements appear to measure a single concept?

No. Take for example these three items:

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Having fun is the whole point of life.

3. What do they appear to be measuring?

There seem to be 4 separate constructs—each measured by several items.

Technology

Technology is important to me.

Career

I put a lot of time and energy into my career.

Leisure

Having fun is the whole point of life.

Family and Social Relations

Family is important, but I have other interests that are just as important to me.

duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.