The Validity of Traditional-Modern Attitude Measures

Abstract

This paper presents findings of analyses of the intercorrelations of items from five traditional-modern (T-M) attitude scales, and of correlations of the items with background variables assumed to be indicators of modernism in values. It also reports findings relating T-M values to students' educational aspirations and achievement. In general, the findings demonstrate a closer association between modernism in values and educational achievement and aspirations than between modernism and community, parental and family-background variables. The discussion points to the importance of using both the factorial analyses of the interitem correlations and the "predictive validity" coefficients as complementary empirical evidence for moving toward both the refinement of a theoretical conception of modernity and the revision of measures of modern attitudes.