Fact and Factitiousness in Ethnic Opinionnaires

Cc OR A desperate disease, a desperate cure; therefore, if opinionnaires are to be used they must be discussed. This is a preliminary report on one phase of an extended study of opinions on ethnic groups. The major objectives are (i) to suggest certain lines of internal and external criticism of opinionnaire 'results' and (2) to present certain materials pertaining to group differences in the endorsement of a range of judgments about Negroes.' It has been largely agreed for the last decade that the various 'attitude scales' introduced by L. L. Thurstone represent the most exact means of assaying group attitudes toward various social values. It is argued here that some of the procedures used in the scoring and interpretation of Thurstonian 'scales' involve methodological contradictions and sociological inadequacies. Although it is believed that this is true of the various Thurstonian opinionnaires (on War, Prohibition, Communism, 'the' Church, 'the' Negro, etc.), the present discussion is restricted to ethnic opinionnaires. 'Attitudes' of Religious Groups toward 'The' Negro. The following tabulation is presented as an introductory basis for this discussion. The table summarizes results obtained through a printed opinionnaire concerning 'the' Negro which was administered to 679 college students registered in sociology courses at Harvard University, Radcliffe College, Pennsylvania State College, Tulane University, and Louisiana State University, at various times between October I938 and October I939.2 The opinionnaire consists of thirty statements about the Negro. It was adapted from a 'scale' con-