Attitudes vs. Actions Versus Attitudes vs. Attitudes

The often-observed discrepancy between verbal and other behavioral expressions of attitude has led some to question the utility of conventional attitude measures. In this article, Howard Schuman demonstrates the same kind of inconsistency among responses to questionnaire items that is often found between questionnaire responses and “real-life” behavior. According to Schuman, the apparent inconsistency in both instances results from the respondent's effort to reconcile two or more conflicting values. He argues that surveys can simulate some of the complexities of everyday life, where it is rare to find only one value engaged, and that respondents can deal meaningfully with such complexities.