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In diesem einleitenden Beitrag werden die Ziele der Tagung dargelegt, die unter dem Thema "Soziale Testprogramme und angewandte Forschung im Dienste der Gesellschaft" stand. Auf die USA und die BRD bezogen wird gezeigt, daß die wirtschaftlichen Probleme der vergangenen Jahre vielfach eine Neuformulierung politischer Zielvorstellungen und Programme, vor allem im Sozialbereich, erfordern werden. Die Schwierigkeiten, vor die die beiden Regierungen bei der Verteilung knapper Steuermittel gestellt sind, und die Implikationen, die sich hieraus für die politikorientierte Forschung ergeben, werden aufgezeigt. Mit Hilfe von wissenschaftlichen Testprogrammen oder Begleituntersuchungen - so das Fazit - könnten die Politiker bei der Entscheidungsfindung unterstützt werden. (NG)

A scale is proposed, the Community Attitude Assessment Scale, which involves measurement of citizens' attitudes toward each of fifteen 'life areas' on the four dimensions of: importance, influence, equality of opportunity, & satisfaction. Two mailings in 10 Ru communities obtained 1,903 responses, out of the 12,337 questionnaires sent. Each of the four dimensions was subjected to cluster analysis, allowing a specification of groups of related responses; religious life & family life are consistently grouped together & apart from all other items. Principal components analysis yielded thirteen dimensions, of which four are identified with the four initially defined dimensions, & the other nine with specific life areas. Importance & equality of opportunity ratings are generally high, but satisfaction & influence ratings are lower. Attitudes do not show as simple a pattern of r with secondary objective measures of community attributes as might be supposed. Some policy applications are outlined. 3 Figures, 6 Tables. Modified HA.

There appears to be an instit'al or cultural movement evolving in the US today, specifically, a focus on educating &/or affecting the public through comprehensive analysis & presentation of soc issues & public affairs (SIPA) information. The impact of exposure to SIPA documentaries upon knowledge, att's, attitude dimensions, & potential behaviors upon the viewer is analyzed. SIPA information in this study consisted of audio-visual presentations on automation, birth control, Brazilian problems, agri'al changes, & migrant workers. Knowledge referred to factual information pertaining to the issue. Att's studied focused on: simple awareness of the problem; evaluation of its seriousness; awareness of causative relationships; & positive solution orientation. attitude dimensions examined included: certainty, interest, intensity, closure, open-mindedness, appreciation of ambiguity, importance, & felt-knowledge. Potential behavior referred to willingness to: seek out more information; join groups; volunteer services; vote for improvements; & to learn more of other soc issues. In addition to demographic information, the verbal aptitude & 'dogmatism' characteristics of S's were examined. Following a pilot study, 5 separate multiple-choice questionaires were completed. Each questionaire had an identical format but dealt with information, attitude dimensions, & potential behaviors appropriate to a specific issue. One issue was arbitrarily assigned to each group. Approximately 300 Coll students (N=313) participated in the focal study. S's were randomly assigned to an exp'al or control group. The stimulus consisted of NBC White Paper or CBS Report TV documentaries presented by 16mm projection in group settings. Results were analyzed across the 5 topics to determine consistent effects. J's were admin'ed on 3 separate occasions: pre-test, post-test & delay test. The 't' test, & r coefficients were used to analyze data obtained. The effects of exposure to SIPA documentaries are detailed. Modified AA.