Semantic Differential and Multidimensional Scaling: the Comparison of Methods in the Analysis of Students’ View of Their Future Employment

Student: Petrova Elena

Supervisor: Natalya I. Daudrikh

Educational Programme: Bachelor

Year of Graduation: 2014

<p> </p><p>This research is dedicated to the comparison of two widespread in social science methods: the semantic differential and multidimensional scaling. These methods were compared against standard procedure of questionnaire on the example of the analysis of students’ view of their future employment.  The relevance of researching indirect techniques in the chosen subject area  is concerned with the existence of some contradiction  between youth’s  inquiries and employers’ opportunities. The standard procedure of questionnaire is not quite appropriate in researching unconscious reactions of respondents. In  this research the main attention is paid to the detection of the latent characteristics standing behind respondents’ estimates. The analysis of techniques was carried out within the saple of 181 graduates majoring in jurisprudence. The choice of this major was  caused by its increased popularity among  the youth. At the first stage methods of semantic differential and multidimensional scaling were compared. Different indicators of reliability were used as the criteria of the comparison of methods. At the second stage the results revealed  by means of three techniques were compared and contrasted. It should be noted that as a result  the objective  of the research was reached. The analysis of methods ‘ reliability was carried out by calculating three indicators: Kronbakh's alpha, correlation of scale’s point with the total value and the reliability’ s coefficient  by split-half method . It was revealed that in the framework of this  research the method of semantic differential appeared to be more reliable. As for cmparison of emirical results, it was defined that 2 components of  ideas of future employment – the material value and social and communicative value, were revealed in all three techniques. Other components differed although very insignificantly.</p>

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