A Theoretical Note on the Differences Between Attitudes, Opinions, and Values

In: Swiss political science review: SPSR = Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft : SZPW = Revue suisse de science politique : RSSP, Band 4, Heft 2, S. 81-93

Abstract

AbstractThis theoretical note examines the concepts attitude, opinion, and value. It is argued that such acquired behavioral pre‐dispositions are re‐lated but have different conceptual foci and tend to address different phenomena. Although it is important to recognize their interconnected‐ness, their indiscriminate use is likely to lead to messy theoretical ar‐guments and misleading interpretations of empirical findings. This ar‐ticle discusses key‐aspects that need to be considered in the study of at‐titudes, opinions, and values, as well as the relations between these.