ABSTRACT
THE techniques which, as we have seen, work rather badly in the measurement of emotional traits, are considerably more successful in measuring social attitudes, opinions, and interests; for example, radicalism vs. conservatism, nationalism, favourableness or unfavourableness to religion, to birth control, or to coeducation, liking for particular school subjects or occupations, etc. The term ‘attitude’ has been used by psychologists in a great many senses, and there is no agreed definition. 1 But in this context it generally implies a personality disposition or drive which determines behaviour towards, or opinions and beliefs about, a certain type of person, object, situation, institution or concept. It includes both McDougall's ‘sentiments’ and the medical psychologist's ‘complexes’, though it is not necessarily thought to arise either from innate instincts or from repressed wishes. Often our attitudes are adopted ready-made, as it were, from our parents, teachers, or friends, though usually modified by our own experiences.
