A summated rating scale of the Likert-type was constructed to measure college students' attitudes toward alcohol use and abuse. Using a three-component approach, a table of specifications for the instrument was developed to include three subscales to measure feeling, belief and intention to act. Comparable emphasis in each subscale was given to drinking behavior, results of drinking and social perspectives. After extensive item development, two experimental forms were administered to a sample of undergraduate college students to gather evidence of item function and validity. Statistical analysis produced a pool of items meeting criteria for internal consistency and discrimination power. According to the table of specifications, 54 items were selected to provide 18 conceptually comparable items for each subscale in the final instrument. The scale was then administered to a sample of 880 undergraduate students at three large, midwestern universities. The data were analyzed statistically to test nine hypotheses concerning validity and performance of the scale. Results demonstrated highly significant levels of internal consistency and discriminating power of items, the subscales and the total scale. The three-component approach was found to be an appropriate, effective technique for measuring attitudes toward health-related behavior.

New scale for measuring attitudes.

A three component alcohol attitude scale.

A summated-rating scale of the Likert-type was constructed to measure the cognitive, affective, and conative components of young adults' attitudes toward sexually transmitted diseases (STD) A table of specifications was developed to include a subscale for each of the three attitude components with conceptual emphasis including the Nature of STD, Prevention of STD, and Treatment of STD After extensive item development, three experimental forms of 45 items each (15 items per subscale) were administered to a large sample of undergraduate college students to gather evidence of item function Then a scale reduced to the best 45 items was administered to a small sample of high school students Analysis of this administration produced a 33-item scale having 11 items per subscale This scale was given to 2,980 secondary school students in six school districts in the midwestern and eastern section of the United States Statistical analysis produced a final scale of 27 items, with 9 items for each subscale Resul

Development of a Three-Component Sexually Transmitted Diseases Attitude Scale

The concept attitude is often used in general mass media debate as a causal, explaining factor. In contrast, the concept has hardly ever appeared in the headlines of Swedish scientific reports in pedagogics during the last few years. A possible explanation may be the pessimistic opinion about the usefulness of attitude research expressed by researchers in adult education. Studies lending support to this defeatism are critically examined from a methodological point of view without finding support for the general conclusion that the attitude concept is of low interest, as an explanatory and a predicting construct.

Are Attitudes Only of Theoretical Interest

In order to justify teaching college-level personal health courses by methods other than the traditional lecture format, assessment of attitude change to ten selected health behaviors was undertaken. Methods compared included lecture, television taught classes, and self-instruction using mostly television. Following ten weeks of instruction it was found that the self-instructed method produced the most favorable change in attitudes toward behaviors generally considered conducive to good health.

http://ets.sagepub.com/content/9/2/149.full.pdf

New scale for measuring attitudes.

Citations

A three component alcohol attitude scale.

Development of a Three-Component Sexually Transmitted Diseases Attitude Scale

Are Attitudes Only of Theoretical Interest

Change in Attitude to Health Behaviors through Teaching with Television