**7. Instrument**

The current research utilized a structured questionnaire developed by McConkey [62] with validated psychometric properties. The principal components analysis of all measures of attitude to people with learning disabilities was used in this questionnaire [27]. The questionnaire uses a mix of closed (Likert scales) and open questions to ascertain participants' attitude to people with learning disabilities living in the community. Four main factors or groupings of attitude measurement were used, e.g. contact with people with learning disabilities; interest in having more information about people with learning disabilities; knowledge of learning disabilities and the final factor consisted of questions to do with reactions to meeting people with learning disabilities. McConkey [62, 27] theorized that the data generated from these four aspects of attitude are relatively independent of each other, and consequently, if researchers require a composite picture of attitude, questions from each category are a requisite. Furthermore, Oppenheim [66] theorized that in attitude research, the more specific and personal questions were to respondents, the more likely they were to give consistent and comprehensive replies.
