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Development and validation of a scale measuring attitudes toward smoking
T H Shore1, A Tashchian, J S Adams
1Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University, GA 30144, USA. ted_shore@coles2.kennesaw.edu
The Journal of Social Psychology
|November 4, 2000
Summary
Researchers created the Smoking Attitudes Scale (SAS) to measure student views on smoking. This validated instrument identifies four key factors related to smoking attitudes in U.S. students.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Behavior
- Educational Measurement
Background:
- Understanding student smoking attitudes is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
- Existing measurement tools may not fully capture the multifaceted nature of smoking attitudes.
- The development of a reliable and valid scale is needed to assess these attitudes accurately.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Smoking Attitudes Scale (SAS).
- To identify the underlying factor structure of smoking attitudes among students.
- To assess the psychometric properties of the SAS.
Main Methods:
- The Smoking Attitudes Scale (SAS) was developed.
- The SAS was administered to two distinct samples of U.S. students (smokers and nonsmokers).
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL methodology was employed.
Main Results:
- Factor analysis revealed that the SAS comprises four distinct factors.
- The SAS demonstrated good internal consistency.
- The instrument showed adequate construct validity.
Conclusions:
- The Smoking Attitudes Scale (SAS) is a psychometrically sound instrument.
- The SAS effectively measures four key dimensions of smoking attitudes in students.
- This scale can be a valuable tool for researchers and educators studying adolescent smoking behavior.