A Scale to Measure Risk Behaviour of Vegetable Farmers

A Scale to Measure Risk Behaviour of Vegetable Farmers

Authors

  • Navitha Raj PhD scholar Department of Agricultural Extension College of Agriculture Kerala Agricultural University Thiruvananthapuram 695 522 Kerala, India
  • Allan Thomas Professor and Head, Communication Centre, Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy P.O., Thrissur, Kerala-680651 India

Keywords:

Risk attitude, vegetable farmers

Abstract

Vegetable farming is associated with many risks and uncertainties and farmers express different attitudes towards such risks. Therefore, a reliable and valid scale was developed using Likert’s summated rating method in order to measure the risk attitude of vegetable farmers. The study describes the development of a scale in a stepwise manner including collection of statements, editing, item analysis and selection. Forty-two statements were selected from 95 statements, for which the ‘t’ value was worked out. Based on the ‘t’ value, 28 statements were selected, which form the risk attitude scale.The split-half technique was used to measure the reliability of the scale. Co-efficient of reliability of scale was found to be 0.95. The content validity was examined to determine the validity of items.Hence it was contended that the scale would prove useful in measuring the risk attitude of vegetable farmers.

References

Allemann, L. and B.W. Young, 2008. Risks control measures among crop farmers in Pretoria. J. Agri. Systems, 4(1): 31–57.

Anastasi, A. 1968. Psychological testing. MacMillan Company. London, 239p.

Bard, S. K. and Barry, P. J. 2000. Developing a scale for assessing risk attitudes of agricultural decision makers. Int. Food Agribus. Mgt. Rev. 3(1): 9-25.

Bezabih, E. and Hadera, G. 2007. Constraints and Opportunities of Horticulture Production and Marketing in Eastern Ethiopia. Drylands Coordination Group Report No. 46, Norway, 90p.

Bruhin, A., Fehr-Duda., and T. Epper. 2007. Risk and Rationality: Uncovering Heterogeneity in Probability Distortion. SOI Working Paper No. 0705, New York, 168p.

Cacioppo, J.T. and Berntson, G. G. 1994. Relationship Between Attitudes and Evaluative Space: A Critical Review, with Emphasis on the Separability of Positive and Negative Substrates. Psy. Bulletin 115(3): 401-423.

Edward, A. L.1957. Techniques of Attitude Scale Construction. Appleton Century Crofts Inc. New York, 250p.

Ehirim, N.C., Odurukwe, S.N., Ajaero, J., and Emenyonu, C. A. 2006. Socio-economic analysis of farming risk in cassava based enterprise in Imo State. Int. J. Natural Appl. Sci. 2(2): 89-95.

Garrett. H. E. 1981. Statistics in Psychology and education. Vakils, Feffer and Simons Ltd, Mumbai. pp.27-38.

Hardaker, J. B., Huirne, R. B. M., Anderson, J.R., and Lien, G. 2004. Coping with risk in agriculture (2nd ed). CABI Publishers. South New Wales, 350p.

Hardwood, J., Heifner, R., Coble, K., Perry, J., and Somwaru, A. 1999. Managing risk in farming: Concepts and analysis. Agri. Econ. Report No. 774. USDA. 3(2): 31-34.

Hillson, D. and Webster, M. R. 2007. Understanding & Managing Risk Attitude. Gower publisher. Burlington:3-7.

Kumar, R. 2014. Research methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners (4th ed), SAGA Publications India Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi: 213-215

Kerlinger, F.N. 1986. Foundations of behavioural research (3rd ed), Holt, Rinchart and Winston. New York, 667p.

Lagerkvist, C. J. 2005. Assessing farmer’s risk attitudes based on economic, social, personal and environmental sources of risk: evidence from Sweden [on-line]. Available: https: //agecon search. umn.edu/ record/19361. [11 July 2021]

Lawshe, C.H. 1975. A Quantitative Approach to Content Validity. Personnel Psy. 28: 563-575

Likert, R.1932. A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Archives Psy. 22 (140):1- 55.

Osuji, E.E., Ehirim, N.C., Rahji, M.A.Y., Awoyemi, T.T., Salman, K.K., Odii, M.A.C.A., Salma, K.K., Odii, M.A.C. A., Onyemuwa, S. C., Ibeagwa, O.B., Chikezie, c. and Okwara, M.O. 2017. Farming risks and security challenges in vegetable production in Orlu, Imo state. Asian Dev. Policy Rev, 5(1): 37-42.

Roslan, N.A., Abdullah, A.M., Ismail, M.M., and Radam, A. 2012. Determining risk attitudes of paddy farmers in KETARA granary, Malaysia. Int. J. Social Sci. Humanit. 2(3):225-231.

Thurstone, L.L. 1931. The measurement of attitudes. J. Abnormal Psy. 26: 249-269.

Downloads

Published

03-09-2022

How to Cite

Raj, N., & Thomas, A. (2022). A Scale to Measure Risk Behaviour of Vegetable Farmers. Journal of Tropical Agriculture, 60(1). Retrieved from https://jtropag.kau.in/index.php/ojs2/article/view/1131

Issue

Section

Short communications

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Loading...