Limitations of assessing attitudinal change among students of criminal justice

Establishing causal relationships is an elusive process for criminal justice researchers. Elimination of rival causal factors tends to be the most problematic area. This practice note first describes the methodology of a recent study conducted by the authors and then elaborates on the methodological problems inherent in the search to establish a causal relationship between course work and attitudinal change among students enrolled in introductory criminal justice classes.