Chapter Twelve Copyright © 2006 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Attitude Scale Measurements Used In Survey Research

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 2 1.Discuss what an attitude is and its three components. 2.Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses. 3.Discuss the differences between noncomparative and comparative scale designs as well as the appropriateness of rating and ranking scale measurements. 4.Identify and discuss the critical aspects of consumer attitudes and other marketplace phenomena that require measurement to allow us to make better decisions. 5.Discuss the overall rules of measurement and explain the differences between single versus multiple measures of a construct as well as direct versus indirect measures. Learning Objectives

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 3 Marketers Need to Better Understand Their Customer Attitude –learned predisposition to act in a consistent positive or negative way to a given object, idea, or set of information Components of Attitudes –Cognitive –Affective Component –Behavioral (Conative) Component Nature of Attitudes and Marketplace Behaviors Discuss what an attitude is and its three components. Identify and discuss the critical aspects of consumer attitudes

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 4 Exhibit 12.1 Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 5 Likert Scale –an ordinal scale format that asks respondents to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with a series of mental belief or behavioral belief statements about a given object Scale format –balanced between agreement and disagreement scale descriptors Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 6 Series of Hierarchical Steps for Developing a Likert Scale 1.Step 1: Identify and understand the concept to be studied 2.Step 2: Assemble a large number of belief statements (e.g. 50 to 100) 3.Step 3: Subjectively classify each statement as having either a “favorable” or “unfavorable” relationship to the specific attitude under investigation. Then the entire list of statements is pretested (e.g. through a pilot test) using a sample of respondents Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 7 4.Step 4:Respondents decide the extent to which they either agree or disagree with each statement, using the intensity descriptors “strongly agree,” “agree,” “not sure,” “disagree,” “strongly disagree.” Each response is then given a numerical weight, such as 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. For assumed favorable statements, a weight of 5 would be given to a “strongly agree” response; for assumed unfavorable statements, a weight of 5 (book has a 5 but should be 1) would be given to a “strongly disagree” response 5.Step 5:A respondent’ overall-attitude score is calculated by the summation of the weighted values associated with the statements rated Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 8 6.Step 6: Only statements that appear to discriminate between the high and low total scores are retained in the analysis. One possible method is a simple comparison of the top (or highest) 25 percent of the total mean scores with the bottom (or lowest) 25 percent of total mean scores 7.Step 7: In determining the final set of statements (normally 20 to 25, statements that exhibit the greatest differences mean values between the top and bottom total scores are selected 8.Step 8: Using the final set of statements, steps 3 and 4 are repeated in a full study Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 9 Likert Scale Extensively Modified 1.Initially, five scale descriptors were used– Strongly agree, Agree, Neither agree nor disagree, Disagree, and Strongly disagree 2.Modified Likert scale expands this set to a six-point forced choice format or a seven-point free-choice format 3.Many researchers treat the Likert Scale Format as an Interval Scale Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 10 4.Characteristics of the Likert scale It is the only summated rating scale that uses a set of agreement/disagreement scale descriptors It measures only cognitive-based or specific behavioral beliefs It does not measure intensity levels of affective or behavioral (conative) components Best utilized for self-administered surveys, or personal interviews, or most online methods to collect the data It can be used to identify and assess personal or psychographic (life style) traits of individuals Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 11 Exhibit 12.2 Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 12 Semantic Differential Scale –unique bipolar ordinal scale format that captures a person’s attitudes and/or feelings about a given object Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 13 Exhibit 12.3 Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 14 Different formats for the semantic differential scale format –Randomize the positive and negative pole descriptors Halo effect bias –Lack of extreme magnitude expressing in the pole descriptors –Use of non-bi-polar descriptors to represent the poles Matching standardized intensity descriptors to pole descriptors Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 15 Exhibit 12.4 Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 16 Exhibit 12.5 Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 17 Exhibit 12.6 Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 18 Behavior Intention Scale –a special type of rating scale designed to capture the likelihood that people will demonstrate some type of predictable behavior intent toward purchasing an object or service in a future time frame Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 19 Exhibit 12.7 Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 20 Exhibit 12.8 Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 21 Strengths and Weaknesses of Attitude and Behavior Intention Scale Measurements –To Capture People’s Attitudes and Behaviors– scale measurements are used but there is no one “guaranteed” best approach Data should be considered to be stable insights rather than as true facts Behavior intentions are probably the most important area to examine Behavior can be explained, directly or indirectly, by measuring both the cognitive and affective elements of the consumers’ attitudes Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 22 Exhibit 12.9 Design Likert, semantic differential and behavior intention scales, and explain their strengths and weaknesses

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 23 Other Types of Comparative and Non- comparative Scale Formats –Noncomparative Rating Scale–scale format that requires a judgment without reference to another object, person, or concept –Comparative Rating–scale format that requires a judgment comparing one object, person, or concept against another on the scale Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Discuss the differences between noncomparative and comparative scale designs

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 24 Methods –Graphic Rating Scales (also referred to as continuous rating scales) use a scale point format that presents a respondent with some type of graphic continuum as the set of possible raw responses to a given question. –Performance Rating Scales uses an evaluative scale point format that allows the respondents to express some type of postdecision or behavior evaluative judgment about an object. Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Discuss the differences between noncomparative and comparative scale designs

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 25 Exhibit Discuss the differences between noncomparative and comparative scale designs

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 26 Rank-Order Scales –allow respondents to compare their responses to each other by indicating their first preference and so forth until all the desired responses are placed in rank order Paired-Comparison Scales –creates a pre-selected group of traits, product characteristics, or features that are paired against one another into two groups; respondents are asked to select which pair is more important to them Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Discuss the differences between noncomparative and comparative scale designs

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 27 Constant Sum Scales– –require the respondents to allocate a given number of points, usually 100, among several attributes or features based on their importance to the individual; this format requires a person to evaluate each separate attribute or feature relative to all the other listed ones Most appropriate in self-administered surveys Requires a lot of mental energy on the part of the respondent Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Discuss the differences between noncomparative and comparative scale designs

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 28 When to Use Single-item or Multiple-item Scales –Single-Item Scale Design when the data requirements focus on collection data about only one attribute of the object or construct being investigated –Multiple-item Scale Design to measure the object or construct of interest, will have to measure several items simultaneously rather than measuring just one item. –Formative composite scale –Reflective composite scale Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Discuss the overall rules of measurement and explain the differences between single versus multiple measures of construct and direct versus indirect measures

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 29 Decision to Use a Single-item versus Multiple-item Scale –made in the construct development state Two factors –Must assess the dimensionality of the construct under investigation –Must deal with the reliability and validity issues of the scales used to collect data Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Discuss the overall rules of measurement and explain the differences between single versus multiple measures of construct and direct versus indirect measures

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 30 Construct Development Issues –Constructs should be clearly defined –Avoid double-barreled sub-dimensions Scale Measurement Issues –All necessary instructions for both respondent and interviewer should be part of the scale measurement setup –Use clear wording and avoid ambiguity –Avoid “leading” phrases or words –Make sure the items are phrased unidimensionally –Make sure the descriptors are relevant to the type of data being sought Recap of Key Measurement Design Issue Discuss the overall rules of measurement and explain the differences between single versus multiple measures of construct and direct versus indirect measures

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 31 Screening Questions –Use screens before questioning –To identify qualified respondents Skip Question –Avoid if possible –Instruction must be clearly communicated Ethical Responsibility of the Researcher –Develop and use the most appropriate scale –Avoid bias Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Discuss the overall rules of measurement and explain the differences between single versus multiple measures of construct and direct versus indirect measures

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 32 Value of Attitude Measurement in Information Research The Nature of Attitudes and Marketplace Behaviors Scales to Measure Attitudes and Behaviors Summary

McGraw-Hill/Irwin 33 The End Copyright © 2006 McGraw-Hill/Irwin