Evaluation of the Crash Course March 2009 - De Montfort University

The research team devised a particular exercise to explore attitude differentials
between the male and female groups on several issues using semantic differential
scales. The descriptors for the extremes were discussed with the young people and
in particular they were comfortable with the term “cool” as meaning something
acceptable to one’s peers and good for the self-image. The following graphs
illustrate the means of the responses given in the focus group attitude scales for
males and females. Figure 6.1 shows the results for the questions relating to driving
at very fast speeds, and Figure 6.2 shows the results for attitudes towards driving
whilst drunk. The focus groups were not randomly selected and cannot be deemed
to be representative. Total numbers participating were small. These figures cannot
therefore be seen as statistically valid but they do give some insight into the attitude
differences between the genders.
Each graph shows a plot of the mean scores for each of the seven-point attitude
scales. Scores are counted from the left hand of each scale, so for instance a score
of 1 on the drunk driving safe/unsafe scale would represent a tick at the extreme
“safe” end of the scale, and a score of 7 would represent one at the extreme “unsafe”
end. In each case, the first term in the legend (e.g. safe, exciting, easy to ask to stop,
etc.) for the bars represents the low end of the scales and the second term (e.g.
unsafe, not exciting, difficult to ask to stop, etc.) represents the high end. Bars
represent the means of all of scores given by both male and female focus group
respondents.
Figure 6.1: Differences between young men and young women in attitudes to
speed
4.00
Mean 6.00
2.00
0.00
Male
Gender
Female
59
Speeding safe/unsafe
Speeding exicting/not
exciting
Easy/difficult to ask to
slow down
Cool/uncool to ask to slow
down
Likely/not likely to ask to
slow down