JISAR

Journal of Information Systems Applied Research

Volume 7

V7 N1 Pages 16-22

February 2014


Developing a Semantic Differential Scale for Measuring Users’ Attitudes toward Sensor based Decision Support Technologies for the Environment.


Taiwo Ajani
Ferrum College
Ferrum, VA 24088, USA

Elizabeth Stork
Robert Morris University
Moon Township, PA 15108, USA

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and testing of an Emerging Technologies Semantic Differential Scale (ETSDS) designed to measure the attitudes of potential users toward an emerging technology. The strategy consisted of identifying initial items and descriptors that may help to understand respondents’ attitudes about one emerging technology; test bi-polar adjectives to construct the scale; determine representativeness of items on a particular construct domain for content validity; and finally, to test the reliability and construct validity of the instrument. The instrument development process resulted in a reliable and valid parsimonious 10-item scale for quantitatively measuring attitudes toward the deployment of global sensor networks that is easily adaptable to other emerging technologies with similar attributes. The instrument is likely to be useful to both academics and practitioners with interests in attitudes about innovations, technology adoption, and users’ behavioral intention toward emerging technologies. Keywords:Semantic differential scale (SDS), public health, attitudes, emerging technologies, scale development

Keywords: attitudes, Global sensor networks, emerging technologies, scale development, public health, semantic differential scale

Download this article: JISAR - V7 N1 Page 16.pdf


Recommended Citation: Ajani, T., Stork, E. (2014). Developing a Semantic Differential Scale for Measuring Users’ Attitudes toward Sensor based Decision Support Technologies for the Environment. . Journal of Information Systems Applied Research, 7(1) pp 16-22. http://jisar.org/2014-7/ ISSN: 1946-1836. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of CONISAR 2013)