Half a Century of Change in Adolescent Attitudes: Replication of a Middletown Survey by the Lynds

Abstract Twenty attitude items administered by Robert and Helen Lynd to the entire high school population of Middletownin 1924 were included verbatim or with very minor changes of wording in an instrument we administered to the entire high school population of the same community in 1977. The statements elicited student attitudes about religion, international affairs, patriotism, social justice, civil rights, and public information sources. Although there were significant changes, some of the attitudes of the earlier period have persisted with remarkable tenacity.