STUDIES IN SOCIAL ATTITUDES: III. ATTITUDE ASSESSMENT THROUGH THE SEMANTIC-DIFFERENTIAL TECHNIQUE.

The purpose of the present study was to use the semantic-differential technique in an attempt to throw more light on the meaning of "Arab unity" to subjects with various stands and to clarify some of the unexpected findings reached in earlier studies (1, 2). The same sample used in earlier studies (1, 2), consisting of 260 under- graduate Arab students at the American University of Beirut, was utilized in this study. In addition to information obtained previously (1, 2), the subjects were given a series of 13 different scales against each of which the concept of "Arab unity" was to be judged successively, according to the semantic-differential procedure. In general, the results of this study show that additional information obtained from scales representative of evaluative as well as other factors on the meaning of the concept "Arab unity" help to clarify some of the unexpected findings of previous studies (1, 2). Thus, subjects considered previously to be moderates turned out to be mostly for or against Arab unity, as shown by their mean evaluative ratings. Consequently, the behavior of so- called moderates in rejecting significantly more statements than they accept (1) and in exhibiting selectivity in mass-communication media similar to anti- Arab unity subjects (2) are explained more fully in the light of additional information obtained from the use of the semantic-differential technique. Also, the meaning of "Arab unity" to pro-Arab unity and anti-Arab unity subjects is more fully understood as a result of information provided by results obtained from the semantic differential. Finally, a modified technique is suggested by the author in which scales representative of the total semantic differential are presented to the subject and, in line with the Sherif-Hovland technique, latitudes of acceptance are obtained on each of the semantic-differential scales. Such a procedure appears to help in improving prediction and is worth further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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