Attitudes and Related Psychosocial Constructs

Theories, Assessment, and Research

Lewis Aiken - Pepperdine University

2002 | 328 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Format Published Date ISBN Price

Paperback 02/12/2002 9780761924531 $63.00

Hardcover 02/19/2002 9780761924524 $102.00

"I would nd this book a tempting alternative to my current text for two reasons: its coverage of more
recent research and theorizing and its focus on applications of attitude measurement and survey
research to a number of very important practical issues."

RICHARD HARRIS, University of New Mexico

Attitudes have a major impact on behavior and one's ability to manage and adapt to change while also
inuencing the behavior of others. This text provides a compact but comprehensive research-oriented
treatment of attitudes and related psychosocial constructs (values, opinions, beliefs, and personal
orientations). It focuses on the meaning, measurement, and utility of attitudes in various applied settings,
such as education or the workplace. The topics explored include social and personal matters such as
prejudice and discrimination, illness and disability, death and dying, poverty and unemployment, conict
and violence, schools and teachers, work and retirement, and politics, religion, and morality. The book will
prove valuable to both students and professionals who nd themselves involved with measuring,
evaluating, and modifying attitudes.

Three introductory chapters provide foundational content (covering denitional, historical, assessment,
and theoretical matters) for the more applied chapters that follow.
Numerous examples and applications ground the discussion in real-life concerns.
Key terms are bolded when rst introduced and dened in an end-of-book glossary to help students
grasp key concepts and terms, and each chapter provides recommended readings for students and
researchers seeking more in-depth treatment of specic topics.
Appendices describe a wide range of procedures and instruments for assessing attitudes in educational,

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 occupational, clinical, and societal contexts to provide invaluable resources for students conducting
research and professionals working in applied settings.

Table Of Contents:

Preface

1. Denitions, History, & Behavior Prediction

2. Assessment Methods & Instruments

3. Attitude Formation & Change

4. Social Prejudice & Discrimination

5. Living Conditions & Problems

6. Natural & Unnatural Death

7. Schools, Subjects, & Students

8. Work, Leisure, & Retirement

9. Politics, Religion, & Morality

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Appendices

Glossary

Reviews:
"The emphasis on application of attitudes to a variety of "real-world" issues is what makes this book
particularly unique..The presentation of factors that inuence measurement reliability is outstanding, as is
discussion of ways to assess validity and standardize an instrument.. Aiken has succeeded in developing
an informative and interesting book that makes attitudes accessible to students by positioning them in
concrete, applied contexts."

Andrew Christopher
Contemporary Psychology APA Review of Books
APA

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