The Scientific Attitude Inventory (SAI) was developed and field tested 25 years ago. It has been used extensively throughout the world, and it continues to be used. Reports of its use and suggestions for revision provide impetus for revision. The revision retains the original position statements of attitudes assessed and the original attitude statements with changes made only to improve readability and to eliminate gender-biased language. Also, in response to critical analysis, the SAI II uses a five-response Likert Scale. The new version is shorter, 40 items instead of 60 in the original. The SAI II was field tested with 557 students in Grades 6, 9, and 12. The top and bottom 27% of scorers for the total inventory were compared for the subscales. A statistically significant difference was obtained for each t-test comparison. Face validity for the SAI II is claimed on the basis of the original judgments of a panel of judges regarding the attitude position statements which have not been altered. A split-half reliability coefficient of .805 was computed for the entire group of 557 respondents. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient is .781.

During the past ten or fifteen years, the relative prosperity of our society, with its changing values, has been reflected in most selective schools by an increase in the size of the sixth‐form. Admirable though this trend may be, it brings certain difficulties — notably that of maintaining academic standards. At one period it might perhaps have been reasonable to regard the majority of sixth‐form students as potential university entrants, but such a simple formula no longer exists.

The Scientific Attitude Inventory (SAI) was developed and field tested 25 years ago. It has been used extensively throughout the world, and it continues to be used. Reports of its use and suggestions for revision provide impetus for revision. The revision retains the original position statements of attitudes assessed and the original attitude statements with changes made only to improve readability and to eliminate gender-biased language. Also, in response to critical analysis, the SAI II uses a five-response Likert Scale. The new version is shorter, 40 items instead of 60 in the original. The SAI II was field tested with 557 students in Grades 6, 9, and 12. The top and bottom 27% of scorers for the total inventory were compared for the subscales. A statistically significant difference was obtained for each t-test comparison. Face validity for the SAI II is claimed on the basis of the original judgments of a panel of judges regarding the attitude position statements which have not been altered. A split-half reliability coefficient of .805 was computed for the entire group of 557 respondents. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient is .781.