Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 140

Chapter 14

Attitude Measurement

True-False Questions

F 1. All attitudes can be observed.

308

T 2. As a general rule, the Stapel scale is markedly easier to administer than the semantic
317 differential, especially over the phone.

F 3. Physiological measures are good measures of behavioral intentions.

309

F 4. A semantic differential uses numbers as response options to identify response

314 positions.

T 5. The behavioral differential is an instrument developed to measure the behavioral

321 intentions of subjects toward any object or category of objects.

F 6. A monadic rating scale asks a respondent to rate a concept, such as a brand, in

324 comparison with a benchmark, such as a competitive brand.

F 7. A simple attitude scale generates interval data.

310

F 8. Graphic rating scales are limited to straight lines as sources of visual communication.
318

F 9. An advantage of the Likert summated rating method is that it is easy to know what a
314 single summated score means.

F 10. A Stapel scale measures the direction, but not the intensity, of an attitude.
317

F 11. One advantage of a graphic rating scale is that there are standard answers.
318
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 141

F 12. A monadic rating scale is a rating scale that uses verbal labels rather than numerical
324 labels.

F 13. Attitudes are measured directly.

323

F 14. Ranking provides interval data.

309

F 15. Seven response categories is the optimal number of response positions for a rating
324 scale.

T 16. An attitude is usually viewed as an enduring disposition to consistently respond in a

308 given manner to some aspect of the world.

F 17. One of the three components of an attitude is the sensitivity component.

308

F 18. The cognitive component of an attitude measures the respondent's predisposition to

308 action.

F 19. The statement "I hate cranberry juice" reflects the cognitive component of an attitude.
308

F 20. The statement "I am aware of Chrysler's warranty program" reflects the affective
308 component of an attitude.

F 21. A comparative rating scale asks about a single concept.

324

F 22. A monadic rating scale asks the respondent to rate a brand compared to a competitive
324 brand.

F 23. The following scale is a Stapel scale item:

317
Products today are built to last a long time before needing service or repair.

strongly agree neither agree disagree strongly

agree nor disagree disagree

T 24. Attitudes are measured by inferring them based on the way a person responds to a
308 stimulus.
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 142

T 25. A Likert scale may include several items to form an index.

312

T 26. A disadvantage of the Likert-type summated rating method is that it is difficult to

314 know what a single summated score means.

T 27. A semantic differential is a measure of attitudes consisting of a series of rating scales

314 that use bipolar adjectives to anchor the beginning and ending of each scale.

T 28. The results of a semantic differential can be used to plot the median scores for each
314 item for one product and also for a competitive product on the same graph.

T 29. Research comparing the semantic differential with the Stapel scale indicates that
317 results from the two techniques are largely the same.

T 30. In attitude measurement, direct verbal statements are used to measure behavioral
320 intent.

F 31. Attitudes may be measured directly by the use of focus groups in exploratory research.
323

T 32. A measurement task that identifies preferences by requiring respondents to choose

309 between two or more alternatives is simply called the choice technique.

T 33. Physiological measures of attitude provide a means of measuring attitudes without

309 verbally questioning the respondent.

F 34. A physiological measure of attitudes requires that the respondent rank order a small
309 number of items in overall preference or on the basis of some characteristic of the
stimulus.

T 35. Pupil dilation is one way to measure attitude.

309

F 36. The following scale is a ladder scale:

318
The taste of 7-UP is:

Excellent Good Fair Poor

T 37. The most common way to measure attitudes in business research is through rating
310 scales.
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 143

F 38. Simple attitude scales require the respondent to rate an opinion on a 5-point scale.
310

T 39. Most attitude theorists believe that the purpose of an attitude scale is to find an
311 individual's position on a continuum.

T 40. The following scale is a category scale:

311
The taste of 7-UP is:

Excellent Good Fair Poor

F 41. The following scale is a ladder scale:

318
Products today are built to last a long time before needing service or repair.

strongly agree neither agree disagree strongly

agree nor disagree disagree

F 42. The following question is an example of a semantic differential:

314
How important was climate in your decision to visit San Diego?

very fairly not so not at all

important important important important

F 43. The scale that appears below is an example of a Likert scale:

317
Supervisor's Name
+3
+2
+1
Supportive
-1
-2
-3

T 44. The results of constant-sum scales approximate interval scales.

316

T 45. The constant-sum scale works best with respondents of higher educational levels.
316
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 144

F 46. A monadic rating scale cannot be a balanced scale.

325

T 47. Likert scales may range from three to nine alternatives.

312

T 48. A comparative rating scale asks a respondent to rate a concept, such as a brand, in
324 comparison with a benchmark, such as a competitive brand.

T 49. The following scale is a semantic differential scale:

314
Modern : : : : : : Old-fashioned

F 50. The following scale is a Likert scale:

312
Modern : : : : : : Old-fashioned

T 51. The following scale is a graphic scale:

318
Modern ___________ Old-fashioned

F 52. The following scale is a ladder scale:

318
Modern : : : : : : Old-fashioned

F 53. Numerical scales measure the exact number of millimeters on a graphic continuum.
315

F 54. Numerical scales consist of rows and columns of numbers in a grid format.
315

T 55. Numerical scales often utilize bipolar adjectives in the same manner as semantic
315 differential scales.

F 56. The following item is a Stapel scale:

315
Divide 100 points among the following toothpaste characteristics according to how
important each characteristic is to you when selecting a brand of toothpaste:

cavity fighting
breath freshening
price
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 145

F 57. The following scale is a semantic differential scale item:

314
Products today are built to last a long time before needing service or repair.

strongly agree neither agree disagree strongly

agree nor disagree disagree

T 58. The following scale is a Likert scale item:

312
Products today are built to last a long time before needing service or repair.

strongly agree neither agree disagree strongly

agree nor disagree disagree

T 59. A scale with categories such as strongly agree, mildly agree, mildly disagree and
311 strongly disagree is more sensitive than a scale that has dichotomous response
categories such as agree or disagree.

Multiple Choice Questions

B 1. When a student says: I really liked that class, this is an indicator of which
308 component of an attitude?
A. Cognitive
B. Affective
C. Behavioral
D. All of the above

C 2. An unbalanced rating scale is called "unbalanced" because:

325 A. the number of business researchers who are permitted to use this scale varies
widely.
B. respondents frequently change their opinions about the scale categories.
C. the scale's positive categories do not equal the negative categories in number.
D. using such a scale throws research results "off balance," i.e., it distorts them.

C 3. When a student says: I plan to take a marketing principles class next term, this is an
308 indicator of which component of an attitude?
A. Cognitive
B. Affective
C. Behavioral
D. All of the above
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 146

B 4. Regarding constant-sum scales, which of the following statements is FALSE?

315 A. Constant-sum scales work best with respondents who have a higher
educational level.
B. They are a good example of a forced-choice scale.
C. Answers indicate the relative importance of certain attributes.
D. Respondents are asked to divide up a given number to indicate the relative
importance of attributes.

A 5. A monadic rating scale asks respondents about concept(s).

324 A. one
B. two
C. three or more
D. The number of concepts may range up to ten, if the scale has been well
designed.

D 6. Which of the following is NOT a component of an attitude?

308 A. Affective
B. Cognitive
C. Behavioral
D. Semantic

C 7. A hypothetical construct can be defined as:

308 A. the component of attitude that represents one's general feelings or emotions
toward an object.
B. a preliminary design for a major project.
C. a variable that is not directly observable but is measured by an indirect means,
such as verbal expression or overt behavior.
D. a strongly-felt attitude that anchors one end of a semantic differential scale.

D 8. An attitude:
308 A. is open to direct observation and measured by direct means.
B. is always measured by the rating method.
C. cannot be measured using physiological measures.
D. is always a hypothetical construct.

B 9. A measurement task that requires respondents to estimate the magnitude of a

309 characteristic or quality that a brand, store, or object possesses is a(n) _______
technique.
A. ranking
B. rating
C. sorting
D. choice
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 147

A 10. The following scale is best described as a ___ scale.

315
How satisfied are you with your IBM computer?

Extremely 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Extremely
Satisfied Dissatisfied

A. numerical
B. unbalanced
C. Likert
D. Stapel

D 11. A scale which will measure both the intensity and direction of attitudes is the _____
317 scale.
A. paired comparison
B. semantic differential
C. Likert
D. Stapel

D 12. Which of the following is a physiological measure of an attitude?

309 A. Blood pressure
B. Galvanic skin response (GSR)
C. Pupil dilation
D. All of the above

C 13. What type of scale is being used when a subordinate is asked:

311
How often is your manager helpful to you?

Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often

A. Likert scale
B. Semantic differential scale
C. Category scale
D. Thurstone scale

A 14. A measurement task that requires respondents to rank order a small number of objects
309 in overall preference or on the basis of some characteristic of the stimulus is a(n)
_____ scale.
A. ranking
B. rating
C. sorting
D. choice
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 148

C 15. A measurement technique that presents a respondent with information typed on cards
309 and requires the respondent to arrange the cards into piles is a(n) _____ technique.
A. ranking
B. rating
C. sorting
D. choice

C 16. Simple attitude scales

310 A. are four-point numerical scales.
B. have the properties of an interval scale.
C. merely classify respondents into one of two categories.
D. can only be used to measure the cognitive component.

A 17. The following scale is best described as a _____ scale.

311
The taste of 7-UP is:

Excellent Good Fair Poor

A. category
B. Likert
C. semantic differential
D. Stapel

D 18. The following statements about a Likert scale are true EXCEPT:
312 A. scale items may be summated to form an index.
B. scores or weights are assigned to the alternative responses.
C. the scale is easy to administer.
D. respondents indicate their attitude by arranging items.

A 19. The following scale is best described as a _____ scale.

312
Products today are built to last a long time before needing service or repair.

strongly agree neither agree disagree strongly

agree nor disagree disagree

A. Likert
B. semantic differential
C. category
D. bipolar
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 149

A 20. The attitude scale that uses bipolar adjectives to anchor each end of the scale is the
314 _____ scale.
A. semantic differential
B. Stapel
C. Likert
D. constant-sum

A 21. Which of the following statements about attitude rating scales is TRUE?
314 A. Researchers have found that respondents are often unwilling to use the
extremely negative side of semantic differential scales.
B. The major advantage of Likert-type summated rating scales is that the
meaning of the single summated score is easily interpreted.
C. The Stapel scale is more difficult to administer than a semantic differential
scale over the telephone.
D. The Thurstone scale's major advantage is the simplicity of its construction and
administration.

B 22. In constructing a semantic differential scale:

314 A. midpoint descriptors are used.
B. bipolar adjectives are used.
C. (n-l)/2 comparisons must be made.
D. None of the above are used.

C 23. The following scale is best described as a _____ scale.

314
Modern : : : : : : Old-fashioned

A. Likert
B. numerical
C. semantic differential
D. Stapel

D 24. All of the following statements about semantic differential scales are true EXCEPT:
314 A. the semantic differential is actually a series of attitude scales.
B. the semantic differential uses bipolar adjectives to anchor the beginning and
ending of the scale.
C. the weights assigned to the semantic differential are arbitrary.
D. the semantic differential uses numbers as response options to identify
categories.
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 150

A 25. What type of scale is being used when a manager is asked:

312
MBO provides an effective way to evaluate my work performance.

Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Disagree

A. Likert
B. Semantic differential
C. Numerical
D. Unbalanced

D 26. What type of scale is being used in the following item?

315
Please tell us how satisfied you are with your purchase of your Ford Escort.

Very Very
Satisfied 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Dissatisfied

A. Likert
B. Semantic differential
C. Comparative rating
D. Numerical

D 27. When a rating scale presents the "ideal situation" as a reference point for a comparison
324 with an actual situation, the rating scale is a(n):
A. reference scale.
B. ladder scale.
C. monadic scale.
D. comparative scale.
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 151

A 28. The scale that appears below is a scale:

317
Supervisor's Name
+3
+2
+1
Helpful
-1
-2
-3

A. Stapel
B. semantic differential
C. constant-sum
D. sorting technique

B 29. The following scale is best described as a(n) ____ scale.

325
How satisfied are you with the bookstore in the student union?

Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Quite dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied

A. numerical.
B. unbalanced.
C. nominal.
D. comparative.

B 30. A forced choice scale:

325 A. must contain an odd number of categories.
B. does not provide a neutral category.
C. does not allow for an unbalanced design.
D. must be comparative.
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 152

C 31. If FedEx asks businesses to distribute 100 points among the following, what type of
315 scale is being used:

_____ Correct invoicing

_____ On-time delivery
_____ Price

A. Forced choice
B. Likert
C. Constant sum
D. Semantic differential

C 32. What type of scale is being used when a company asks its managers to distribute their
315 benefits so that they add up to 50 points using the following scale:

____ Dental plan

____ Retirement plan
____ Health care plan
____ Child care plan

A. Likert scale
B. Semantic differential scale
C. Constant sum scale
D. Ranking scale

Fill in the Blank

1. The __ component of an attitude reflects buying intentions and a predisposition to

308 take certain actions.

behavioral

2. The __ component of an attitude reflects an individual's general feelings or

308 emotions toward an object.

affective

3. The __ component of an attitude reflects one's awareness of and knowledge about

308 an object.

cognitive
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 153

4. The term __ ______ describes a variable that is not directly observable but is
308 measured by an indirect means, such as verbal expression or overt behavior.

hypothetical construct

5. The technique is a measurement task that requires respondents to choose one of

309 two or more alternatives.

choice

6. The ____ is an instrument developed to measure the behavioral intentions of

321 respondents toward any object or category of objects.

behavioral differential

7. A(n) is an enduring disposition to consistently respond in a given manner to

308 various aspects of the world.

attitude

8. The following question is an example of the __ _____ measurement technique.

322
I would like to know your overall opinion of two brands of Product X. They are Brand
A and Brand B. Overall, which of these two brands--A or B--do you think is the better
one? Or are both the same?

A is better .
B is better .
They are the same .

paired comparison

9. _____ _____ is a physiological measure of attitude.

309
Galvanic skin response or blood pressure or pupil dilation

10. The term describes a measurement task that requires respondents to estimate the
309 magnitude of a characteristic or quality that an object possesses.

rating
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 154

11. The term describes a measurement task that requires respondents to order a small
309 number of activities, events, or objects according to overall preference or on the basis
of some characteristic of the stimulus.

ranking

12. A measure of attitudes that asks respondents about a single concept in isolation is
324 known as a(n) rating scale.

monadic

13. A fixed-alternative rating scale that has more response categories at one end of the
325 scale, so that the number of positive categories does not equal the number of negative
categories, is a(n) rating scale.

unbalanced

14. A measure of attitudes that asks respondents to rate a concept against a benchmark
324 explicitly used as a frame of reference is a(n) rating scale.

comparative

15. A fixed-alternative rating scale that has an equal number of positive and negative
325 categories, with a neutral or indifference point at the center of the scale, is known as
a(n) rating scale.

balanced

16. The scale that appears below is a(n) scale:

311
How often do you disagree with your spouse about how much to spend on various
things?

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often

category
Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement 155

17. The scale that appears below is an example of a(n) scale:

312
I carefully budget my food expenditures.

Strongly Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly

Disagree Agree

Likert

18. The _ ____ scale is an attitude measurement technique consisting of a series of

314 seven-point bipolar rating scales allowing response to a concept.

semantic differential

19. A(n) __ _____ _____ is a measure of attitude consisting of a continuum;

318 respondents are asked to rate an object by choosing any point on the continuum.

graphic rating scale

20. The name for the scale that appears below is a(n) scale:
315
Divide 100 points among the following toothpaste characteristics according to how
important each characteristic is to you in selecting a brand of toothpaste:

Cavity fighting
Breath freshening
Price

constant-sum

21. The technique presents respondents with several concepts and asks them to arrange
309 or otherwise classify the concepts.

sorting

22. In its most basic form, attitude scaling requires respondents to or with a
310 statement.

agree; disagree

23. A(n) __ scale uses numbers as response options to identify response positions.
315
numerical