ATTITUDE MEASUREMENT For social scientists, an attitude is as an enduring disposition to respond consistently to specific aspects of the world, including

actions, people, or objects. One way to understand an attitude is to break it down into its components. Consider this brief statement: Sally likes shopping at Wal-Mart. She believes the store is clean, conveniently located, and has low prices. She intends to shop there every Thursday. This simple example demonstrates attitudes three components: affective, cognitive, and behavioral. The affective component refers to an individuals general feelings or emotions toward an object. Statements such as I really like my Corvette, I enjoy reading new Harry Potter books, and I hate cranberry juice reflect an emotional character of attitudes. A persons attitudinal feelings are driven directly by his/her beliefs or cognitions. This cog- nitive component represents an individuals knowledge about attributes and their consequences. One person might feel happy about the purchase of an automobile because she believes the car gets great gas mileage or knows that the dealer is the best in New Jersey. The behavioral com- ponent of an attitude reflects a predisposition to action by reflecting an individuals intentions.