Abstract

                                The present study was conducted in three blocks of Theni district with sample size of 220 women to measure their attitude towards SHGs. For the purpose of this study, attitude was operationalized as the mental disposition of rural women about self-help groups in varying degrees of favourableness or unfavourableness. The attitude items were selected using equal appearing interval scaling technique and were arranged randomly in order to avoid biased responses. A five-point continuum of ‘strongly agree’, ‘agree’, ‘undecided’ ‘disagree’ and ‘strongly disagree’ was used as response categories. The scale consisted of nine statements of which six were positive and three were negative. The developed scale was tested to know the attitude of women towards SHG’s. The score obtained for each statement was summed up to arrive at the attitude score for that respondent. The study exemplifies that majority (72.25%) were found to possess moderately favourable attitude towards self-help groups. The contribution and variation of profile characteristics towards attitude of Self Help Groups accounted to 59 per cent and 57 per cent.

Key words : Self Help Groups; Attitude scale Multiple Regression