ATTITUDE, BELIEF AND BEHAVIOR SURVEY

Abstract

The Attitude, Belief, and Behavior Survey is a comprehensive psychological instrument developed as part of a doctoral dissertation by Virginia L. Rothwell in 2009. The primary objective of the survey was to investigate the complex relationship between an individual’s attitude toward deviance and their subsequent self-reported deviant behavior. The scale specifically sought to determine the influence of mediating factors, including measures of personal individualism, the strength of social bonds, and the influence of deviant peers.

Structured using established survey methodology, the instrument covers nine distinct sections, ranging from self-beliefs and personal goals to detailed assessments of moral opinions regarding various behaviors such as substance use, property crime, and academic misconduct. By integrating measures of personal philosophy, social integration, peer behavior, and self-reported action, the survey provides a robust framework for analyzing the social psychological predictors of non-conforming behavior, primarily within a young adult population.

Keywords

Deviance, Deviant Behavior, Criminology, Social Psychology, Social Bonds, Attitude Measurement, Individualism, Substance Use, Academic Misconduct, Survey Instrument

Authors

Virginia L. Rothwell, James E. Hawdon, Donald J. Shoemaker, Carol A. Bailey, Anastasia S. Vogt Yuan

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Attitude, Belief, and Behavior Survey is to systematically collect data necessary to test theoretical models linking personal beliefs, social integration, and the propensity for deviance. Specifically, the instrument was designed to operationalize and measure key variables hypothesized to mediate the relationship between general attitudes (e.g., respect for authority, value of education) and specific self-reported deviant acts (e.g., theft, drug use).

The survey serves as a tool for researchers in sociology and psychology to examine how factors such as self-concept (e.g., seeing oneself as an independent person), perceived social norms (e.g., friends’ behavior), and personal morality influence behavioral choices, particularly those pertaining to crime and misconduct among young adults.

Construct

The scale measures several distinct psychological and sociological constructs, structured across its nine sections:

• Individualism and Self-Beliefs: Measures the extent to which a person views themselves as unique, independent, and willing to take risks (Q3-Q7). This taps into concepts of autonomy and self-reliance.
• Goal Importance and Expectation: Assesses the perceived importance of conventional goals (e.g., career success) and the expectation of achieving those goals (Q8-Q9).
• Deviant Peer Association: Quantifies the extent to which an individual’s closest friends engage in specific forms of deviance, such as cheating, binge drinking, and marijuana use (Q10-Q12).
• Attitudes Toward Deviance (Moral Alignment): Measures the respondent’s moral judgment regarding the wrongfulness of various deviant acts, ranging from cheating and substance abuse to serious crimes like burglary and assault (Q13-Q23). This is a core measure of the respondent’s attitude.
• Self-Reported Deviant Behavior: Gathers self-admitted frequency of engaging in specific deviant behaviors over the past year (Q24-Q34).
• Social Bonds and Conventional Activities: Assesses involvement in conventional activities that reflect attachment and commitment to society, such as religious services, studying, sports, and school clubs (Q35-Q40).
• Respect for Authority and Social Values: Measures opinions on broader social issues, including respect for teachers, police, and family, and the importance of education (Q41-Q52). These items are used to assess the strength of traditional social bonds.

Validity

As this instrument was developed for a doctoral dissertation, its validity was established through rigorous theoretical grounding and construction methodology. The use of Dillman’s Tailored Design Method suggests strong attention was paid to maximizing response rates, clarity, and minimizing measurement error, contributing to the instrument’s face and content validity.

The scale demonstrates strong Content Validity by covering a broad spectrum of behaviors and attitudes relevant to sociological theories of deviance, including measures of social control, peer influence, and personal efficacy. Construct Validity is established implicitly through the dissertation’s statistical analysis, which uses the derived subscales (e.g., individualism, peer deviance, attitudes) to predict self-reported behavior, confirming that the tool measures the intended theoretical constructs as outlined in the research model.

Reliability

Specific internal consistency measures (such as Cronbach’s alpha) for the various subscales (e.g., attitudes toward drugs, self-reported property crime) are detailed within the full dissertation text. Given the academic context, it is expected that the primary scales used for analysis demonstrated acceptable to high levels of reliability, ensuring that the instrument consistently measures the underlying constructs of individualism, social bonds, and deviant attitudes.

Factor Analysis

While the initial source document provides the items, the exact results of the factor analysis used to confirm the scale structure are found in the complete dissertation. However, the clear organization of the questions into distinct sections—such as “description of self and self beliefs” (Individualism) and “attitudes toward a variety of deviant behaviors” (Attitude toward Deviance)—strongly implies that exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis was used to group the 52 substantive items into reliable, internally consistent subscales for hypothesis testing.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire/Academic Survey Instrument

Format: Multi-section survey utilizing Likert-type scales (e.g., 4-point agreement scales, 4-point frequency scales, 5-point peer behavior scales) and categorical demographic questions.

Language Available: English

Population Group: University Students/Young Adults

Age Group: 18 years of age and older

Population Details: The sample population for the original research consisted of students enrolled at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Test Methodology: The survey instrument was constructed using Dillman’s (2000) Tailored Design Method, a systematic procedure for developing self-administered questionnaires to maximize data quality and response rates.

Keywords

Psychometrics, Attitude toward Deviance, Behavior Prediction, Peer Influence, Social Control Theory, University Population, Survey Design, Self-Report

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Correspondence Address: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Affiliation at time of publication)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The instrument was developed in 2009 by Virginia L. Rothwell as part of the requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Sociology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The survey is publicly available through the university’s repository as part of the dissertation document. There is no commercial fee associated with accessing the scale through the academic source.

The original PDF of the dissertation, which contains the context and detailed analysis of this survey instrument, can be downloaded here: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-09152009-092751/unrestricted/Rothwell_VL_D_2009.pdf

Reference’s

• Rothwell, V. L. (2009). The Relationship between Attitudes toward Deviance and Deviant Behavior: The Influence of Science, Individualism, Social Bonds and Deviant Peers. Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.
• Dillman, D. A. (2000). Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Items of the ATTITUDE‚ BELIEF AND BEHAVIOR SURVEY

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Q1: I have read the consent document and understand that by completing this survey I acknowledge that I was provided a consent document‚ with a description of the rationale for this study‚ issues related to confidentiality‚ and possible risks and benefits of participation.
1 Yes
2 No

Q2: I understand that I must be at least 18 years of age to participate in this survey and certify that I am‚ indeed 18 years of age.
1 Yes‚ I am 18 years of age and am thereby eligible to participate
2 No‚ I am not 18 years of age and am thereby ineligible to participate
IF YOU ARE NOT 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER PLEASE STOP THE SURVEY AND
RETURN THE STUDY DOCUMENTS TO THE RESEARCHER.
The following questions ask about who you are as a person. Using the categories: Always‚ almost always‚ almost never or never please indicate how often you would use these descriptions to describe yourself or your beliefs.

Q3: I see myself as “my own person”.
1 Always
2 Almost always
3 Almost never
4 Never

Q4: It is important for me to be able to act as an independent person.
1 Always
2 Almost always
3 Almost never
4 Never

Q5: I enjoy being unique and different from others.
1 Always
2 Almost always
3 Almost never
4 Never

Q6: I consider myself as a unique person separate from others.
1 Always
2 Almost always
3 Almost never
4 Never

Q7: Sometimes I will take a risk just for the fun of it.
1 Always
2 Almost always
3 Almost never
4 Never

The following question asks you about a specific goal. Please indicate whether the goal is very important‚ somewhat important or not important to you.

Q8: How important is it to you to have a good job or career after you have finished with school?
1 Very important
2 Somewhat important
3 Not important

The previous question asked you about the importance of a specific goal to you. The next question asks you about your expectations for achieving this goal. Please indicate whether you think your chances for achieving this goal are good‚ fair or poor.

Q9: What do you think your chances are for getting the job you would like after finishing school?
1 Good
2 Fair
3 Poor

The following section contains questions about the behavior of your closest friends over the past year. For each question‚ please indicate how many of your friends have engaged in the behavior.

Q10: During the past year‚ how many of your closest friends have cheated on school tests?
1 Almost all of them
2 Most of them
3 Some of them
4 Very few of them
5 None of them

Q11: During the past year‚ how many of your closest friends have binge drank alcohol? Binge drinking is defined as 5 or more drinks in one outing for a male and 4 or more drinks in one outing for a female.
1 Almost all of them
2 Most of them
3 Some of them
4 Very few of them
5 None of them

Q12: During the past year‚ how many of your closest friends have used marijuana?
1 Almost all of them
2 Most of them
3 Some of them
4 Very few of them
5 None of them

The questions in this next section ask you about your attitudes or opinions on a variety of behaviors. For each question‚ please indicate whether you think it is not wrong at all‚ a little bit wrong‚ wrong or very wrong for someone to engage in these behaviors.

Q13: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to cheat on school tests?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q14: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to binge drink alcohol? Binge drinking is defined as ha‎ving five or more alcoholic drinks in one night for males and four or more alcoholic drinks in one night for females.
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q15: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to use marijuana?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q16: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to use stimulants such as cocaine or methamphetamine?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q17: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to use designer drugs such as Ecstasy or GHB?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q18: In your opinion how wrong is it for someone to use opiates such as opium or heroin?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q19: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to purposefully damage or destroy property that does not belong to them?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q20: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to steal something that does not belong to them?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q21: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to burglarize a home or business?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q22: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to download songs or movies off the internet without paying for them?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

Q23: In your opinion‚ how wrong is it for someone to physically attack another person?
1 Not wrong at all
2 A little bit wrong
3 Wrong
4 Very wrong

This next section asks about behaviors that you may or may not have engaged in over the past year. Using the categories provided below‚ please indicate how often over the past year you have engaged in the following behaviors.

Q24: Over the past year how often have you cheated on school tests?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
4 Six or more times

Q25: Over the past year‚ how often have you binge drank alcohol? Binge drinking is defined as ha‎ving five or more alcoholic drinks in one night for males and four or more alcoholic drinks in one night for females.
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
4 Six or more times

Q26: Over the past year‚ how often have you used marijuana?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
4 Six or more times

Q27: Over the past year‚ how often have you used stimulants such as cocaine or methamphetamine?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
4 Six or more times

Q28: Over the past year‚ how often have you used designer drugs such as Ecstasy or GHB?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to give times
4 Six or more times

Q29: Over the past year‚ how often have you used narcotics such as opium or heroin?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
3 Six or more times

Q30: Over the past year‚ how often have you purposefully damaged or destroyed property that did not belong to you?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
4 Six or more times

Q31: Over the past year‚ how often have you stolen something?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
4 Six or more times

Q32: Over the past year‚ how often have you burglarized a home or business?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
4 Six or more times

Q33: Over the past year‚ how often have you downloaded songs or movies off the internet without paying for them?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
4 Six or more times

Q34: Over the past year‚ how often have you physically attacked another person?
1 Never
2 One to two times
3 Three to five times
4 Six or more times

The following section asks about activities in which you may or may not participate. Please indicate the response for each question that most accurately indicates your involvement in these activities.

Q35: How often do you attend religious services?
1 Almost everyday
2 Once or twice a week
3 Once a week
4 Once a month
5 Once or twice a year
6 Never

Q36: How often do you pray?
1 Almost everyday
2 Once or twice a week
3 Once a week
4 Once a month
5 Once or twice a year
6 Never

Q37: How often do you play intramural‚ collegiate sports or sports for recreation?
1 Almost everyday
2 Once a week
3 Once a month
4 Once or twice a year
5 Never

Q38: How often do you participate in school clubs or activities such as volunteer work?
1 Almost everyday
2 Once or twice a week
3 Once a month
4 Once or twice a year
5 Never

Q39: How often do you study?
1 Almost everyday
2 Once or twice a week
3 Once a month
4 Once or twice a year
5 Never

Q40: How often do you go to bars or other clubs?
1 Almost every night
2 Once or twice a week
3 Once a month
4 Once or twice year
5 Never

The following section asks some questions about issues that are frequently discussed.

Q41: I respect the opinions of my teachers.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

Q42: I try hard in school.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

Q43: Getting a good education is important to me.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

Q44: You should respect the police.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

Q45: My family is important to me.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

Q46: I respect my mother or female guardian’s opinion.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree
5 Does not apply to me

Q47: I respect my father or male guardian’s opinion.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree
5 Does not apply to me

Q48: I consider myself to be a religious person.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

Q49: You should obey the rules of adults.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

Q50: It is alright to do something your parents tell you not to do as long as you can get away with it.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

Q51: The police are honest.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

Q52: Science is likely to solve the world’s problems such as global warming‚ overpopulation and hunger.
1 Tend to strongly agree
2 Tend to agree
3 Tend to disagree
4 Tend to strongly disagree

The final section of this survey is about your demographic and social ch‎aracteristics. These are included for comparison.

Q53: What is your gender?
1 Male
2 Female

Q54: How old are you?
1 Eighteen
2 Nineteen
3 Twenty
4 Twenty one
5 Twenty two
6 Twenty three
7 Twenty four
8 Twenty five and above

Q55: What year are you in school?
1 Freshman
2 Sophomore
3 Junior
4 Senior

Q56: If you have a job‚ on average‚ how many hours do you work a week?
1 1-5 hours
2 6-10 hours
3 11-15 hours
4 16-20 hours
5 20 or more hours
6 Do not have a job

Q57: Which of the following categories best describes your racial background? Please indicate all response options that apply.
1 White or Caucasian
2 White/non-Hispanic
3 White/ Hispanic
4 Black or African American
5 Black/ non-Hispanic
6 Black/ Hispanic
7 Asian
8 Native American
9 Pacific Islander
10 Other

Q58: What is your mother’s highest level of education?
1 Some high school
2 High school degree
3 Some college
4 College degree
5 Graduate degree
6 Do not know

Q59: What is your father’s highest level of education?
1 Some high school
2 High school degree
3 Some college
4 College degree
5 Graduate degree
6 Do not know