Semantic differential and its risks in the measurement of intercultural differences in the attitudes of students

Abstract

The paper describes possible risks and limitations that need to be considered in researching intercultural differences in the attitudes of students. According to a comparative research study focusing on the attitudes of students of Palacký University in Olomouc and the University of Rzeszow to selected concepts of educational and social reality, the paper emphasises a necessity to verify the validity and reliability of the measuring tool – two-factor ATER semantic differential. It appears that mere use of linguistically equivalent adjectives in various scales of the semantic differential might not meet the required factor structure. Research emphasises a need to review the structure of the scales using a factor analysis.