John W. Bardo

A Re-Examination of Subjective Components of Community Satisfaction in a British New Town

Summary The scalability and dimensionality of the Community Satisfaction Scale were re-examined for a second sample (N = 412) drawn from a British new town after an interval of eight years. The results suggest that both the domain and structure of community satisfaction were malleable and subject to change within a given population, not just between populations. They also provide continued support for the sociocultural approach to human-environment interaction.

Preliminary Assessment of Format-Specific Central Tendency and Leniency Error in Summated Rating Scales.

Data for 4-, 5-, and 7-position Likert formats from 292 undergraduates showed systematic error varied among formats, i.e., central tendency errors tended to increase with increasing numbers of categories and to reduce variances expected.

Consistency of response style across types of response formats

Effects of response style on various commonly used fixed-response formats are examined. Data suggest that Likert-type formats are relatively consistently affected by response style regardless of the number of categories in the format. Non-anchored numbers were less affected by stylistic responses, while linear formats and various forms of human faces are the most problematic. Across types, strongest correlations were obtained for the various forms of linear formats and human faces making their use problematic.

NOTE ON RELIABILITY OF FIXED-RESPONSE FORMATS

Responses to various fixed test-response formats were examined for “reliability” due to systematic error; Cronbachs as up to .67 were obtained. Of the various formats tested, 4-point Likert were the least affected while various forms of lines and faces were most problematic. Results are discussed in relation to possible modification in a to account for systematic bias.

Department of Sociology/Social Work Room 408, LAS Bldg. Wichita State University Wichita, Kansas 67208

Summary First-order community satisfaction factors derived in an analysis of data from a random sample of adult residents from a middle-size Midwestern city (N = 138) were subjected to second-order factor analysis; an oblique solution with three factors resulted. These data suggest a closer relationship between physical and social dimensions of community for this sample than found in previous studies.

Sociodemographic Correlates of Adjustment for American Migrants in Australia

Summary Sociodemographic predictors of adjustment for a sample (N = 115) of American migrants in Australia are examined by means of stepwise multiple regression and nine measures of adjustment. Results indicate that length of residence, sex of respondent, marital status, nationality of spouse, and socioeconomic status are predictors of the various dimensions.

Social Class, Age, Sex, Mother-Daughter Role Relationships, and Community Satisfaction in a British New Town

Summary This study attempted to determine if relationships exist between certain important sociodemographic variables and community satisfaction in a British new town. A randomly selected sample of 220 adult residents of a British new town were administered a questionnaire containing 60 community satisfaction items and a personal data section. A Likert scale was then constructed and used as the dependent variable in regression and tabular analyses. Significant relationships (p < .05) were found for several variables. The results were discussed in relation to the “settling-in” period subsequent to migration and urban planning policy.

The Satisfaction of Industrial Workers as Predictors of Production, Turnover, and Absenteeism

Summary Results of a large scale reinvestigation of relationships between measures of worker satisfaction and measures of job performance are reported. The study involves a sample of approximately 4000 employees in both production and nonproduction departments of a large aerospace firm. Relationships between a multifactor model of worker satisfaction and both actual and surrogate performance measures, such as absenteeism and turnover, are examined. Results suggest complex relationships between factors in the satisfaction model and the actual as well as the surrogate performance measures.

The social ecology of skid row

Using a sociocultural ecological model the social structure and ter‐ritoriality of the skid row in a midwestern city was examined. Results suggest that the various groups inhabiting skid row can be hierarchically ordered according to social status and that uses of the territory varies greatly among component groups. Results also support the use of sociocultural ecology as a model for analyzing skid row and probable effects of changes imposed on skid row by urban renewal and redevelopment.

Dimensions of Employee Attitude in an Industrial Aircraft Company

Summary The Industrial Worker Satisfaction Instrument was applied to 15,072 employees of a major aircraft production company and the responses were factor analyzed to oblique simple structure; a solution with nine interpretable factors was obtained. Results suggest that the broad model on which the instrument was developed is useful, but that it should be viewed largely as an heuristic device and not as a reflection of actual attitude structure.