Semantic

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Affective Assessment Tool:

Differential

Semantic differential

- is not a test procedure but a general method of obtaining ratings of concepts on a series of bipolar adjective scale.- It is designed so that attitudes, feelings and opinions can be measured by degrees, from very favorable to highly unfavorable.- It is used for measuring the meaning of things and concepts in the connotative sense.

The scale is set up using polar

adjectives (opposite-meaning terms) at each

end. After examining the connotative meaning of thousands of concepts,

Charles Osgood (1957) and his associates identified

three major dimensions of meaning: strength, value,

and activity.

Charles Osgood

Strength:

Strong ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ WeakDecisive ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ IndecisiveValue:

Good ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Bad Cheap ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ ExpansiveActivity:

Active ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Passive Lazy ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Industrious

It is not necessary to use these particular sets of adjectives, or cover all three themes. Any set can be substituted, depending on the purpose of the research and the objectives of survey.

Pairs of words are often clear opposites.

The respondent is asked to rate an object, person or any concept, by putting a mark on one of the 7 spaces along

each dimension.

!

Examples:

Rate the “Park” on the following dimensions: Safe ____:____:____ Dangerous

Dirty ____:____:____ CleanQuiet ____:____:____ Noisy

3-Point Scale

Indicate your opinions about the ‘Showtime’ TV show by checking one box in each row below:

very some- neither some- verymuch what what much

Enjoyable [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] boring Likable [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] challenging

Nosy [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] fascinatingSilly [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] ridiculous

Alternate form, using unmarked, continuous scale (with central position):

Enjoyable _________________l__________________ boring Likable _________________l__________________ challenging

Nosy _________________l__________________ fascinatingSilly _________________l__________________ ridiculous

2 1 0 -1 -2

- It identifies particularly favourable or objectionable aspects of multi-faceted issues and concepts- Provides and overall response scale score (average) for the concept- It is useful in situations with different age groups or cultures because they are easy for the researcher to construct- It can be administered to more than one person at the same time

Advantages:

- Only useful for questions involving bipolar opposites- Adjectives may have different meaning for different respondents- People may choose not to answer some item, making it hard to achieve a valid score

Disadvantages:

The steps to be followed indeveloping a semantic differentialscale are as follows (Payne, 2003):

1. The number and type of concepts to be selected will depend upon the intent. It is best to select a group of related concepts that can be viewed in the same context or frame of reference.Examples of paired opposite objectives can be used are the following: good bad; sweet-sour; high-low; kind-cruel; pleasant-unpleasant; valuable-worthless; brave-cowardly; honest-dishonest; healthy-sick; relaxed-tense and many more. The difficulty of the words should be considered as students cannot use adjectives whose meanings they do not understand.

2.

How to DevelopIdentify the concept to be rated.

Choose appropriate bipolar scales.

The steps to be followed indeveloping a semantic differentialscale are as follows (Payne, 2003):

1.2.

How to DevelopIdentify the concept to be rated.

Choose appropriate bipolar scales.

Only one concept should appear on each page and the scales listed beneath. The polarity of the scales should be alternated. You may use 5 to 7-point scale. Nonetheless, 10 to 15 adjective pairs would be sufficient for a group of about 10 related concepts. The younger the group, the fewer concepts and scales should be used.

3.Design a response sheet.

The cover sheet should include a general orientation to the task and a statement why data are being collected. The significance of the scale positions should be specified as well as the procedure of recording responses.

4.Write instructions.

The purpose of this activity is to measure the meanings of certain concepts by asking you to judge them against a series of descriptive scales. You are to rate each concepts on each of these scales. Here is how to use the scales:

If you feel a particular concept is very much like one end of the scale,you should place our check mark as follows:

Pleasant ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Unpleasant

If you feel a particular concept is close to one end of the scale,you should place our check mark as follows:

Pleasant ___:___:___:___:___:___:___Unpleasant  

If you feel that a concept is neutral on the scale or if the scale is completely irrelevant,you should place our check mark in the middle space.

Pleasant ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Unpleasant  

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

To avoid fatigue or boring the respondent, do not use more than 20 lines, and 10-12 adjective pairs is better. Using fewer is acceptable. The location of the positive attributes should be varied from left to right. Do not put all the "good" adjectives on one side, as it might bias the responses. Provide clear instructions for the respondent so that they put their marks in the right place. Otherwise, some people will circle the colons (:).

Considerations

The first impression of each concept is always wanted. Be sure to check every scale. More than one mark in one scale may not be valid.

In summarizing the responses quantitatively, the usual procedure it to assign values from 1 to 7 such that the interval closes to the adjective representing the negative pole receives a 1 and the interval closest to the opposing adjective receives a 7. An individual’s score on each scale for each concept may then be computed in terms of scale positions. If only the evaluative adjective pairs are used, a 7point 10 scale differential for a single concept would yield a maximal positive score of 70 and a minimum score of 10.

Scoring and Interpretation

Respondents will tend to score these relatively - thus if they feel less strongly about a question than the previous one, they will mark the scale in a more central position. This method gives interval data. If respondents, despite the instructions, circle the colon, you can score the dimension using a midpoint. If they circle the colon between the first and second space, score it as 1.5.

Scoring and Interpretation

The semantic differential requires respondents that are intelligent and cooperative. It requires respondents with a good knowledge of language, who are willing and able to make fine distinctions. It would be not appropriate for children, unless presented in a simplified form.

Limitations

EvaluationGood ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ badPositive ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ negativePleasant ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ unpleasantWorthless ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ valuable,Dirty ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ clean

PotencyStrong ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ weakHeavy ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ lightHard ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ softSimple ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ complexSubmissive ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ assertiveDifficult ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ easy

ActivityActive ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ passiveExcitable ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ calmFast ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ slowRelaxed ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ tenseDim ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ brightQuiet ___:___:___:___:___:___:___ noisy

Assessment of Learning 2

Affective Assessment Tool:

Semantic Difference

Prepared by:PABLEO, Angelica

HABLA, Ellaine JoyVALENCIA, Diadem

1.31.13

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