An Empirical Test of Factor Structure Stability in Attitude Measurement

Abstract

The stability of the factor structure of a survey instrument designed to provide a baseline measure of managerial attitudes towards blacks in the working environment was investigated. Results of independent factor analyses of the same questionnaire administered to three different samples of managers from the same company at three different time periods were compared using Tucker's method of factor comparison. Results indicated that the factor structure of the instrument did not remain invariant over a two-year time period. T-tests of mean differences in attitudinal intensities showed no pervasive changes over time, but there were significant differences in biographical characteristics across time periods. The implications for the psychological measurement of attitudes are discussed.

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