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U.S. Metric Study Interim Report

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U.S. Metric Study Interim Report U.S. METRIC STUDY INTERIM REPORT THE CONSUMER imHHMHPHr U.S. METRIC SUBSTUDY REPORTS The results of substudies of the U.S. Metric Study, while being evaluated for the preparation of a comprehensive report to the Congress, are being published in the interim as a series of NBS Special Publications. The titles of the individual reports are listed below. REPORTS ON SUBSTUDIES NBS SP345-I: International Standards (issued December 1970, SD Catalog No. CI 3. 10:345-1, Price $1.25) NBS SP345-2: Federal Government: Civilian Agencies (issued July 1971, SD Catalog No. CI 3. 10:345-2, price $2.25) NBS SP345-3: Commercial Weights and Measures (issued July 1971, SD Catalog No. CI 3. 10:345-3, price $1.00) NBS SP345-4: The Manufacturing Industry (issued July 1971, SD Catalog No. C 1 3. 10:345-4, price $ 1 .25) NBS SP345-5 Nonmanufacturing Businesses (in press) NBS SP345-6 Education (in press) NBS SP345-7 The Consumer (this publication) NBS SP345-8 International Trade (in press) NBS SP345-9 Department of Defense (issued July 1971, SD Catalog No. C 1 3. 1 0:345-9, price $ 1 .25) NBS SP345-10: A History of the Metric System Controversy in the United States (in press) NBSSP345-11: Engineering Standards (issued July 1971, SD Catalog No. C 1 3. 1 0:345-1 1 , price $2.00) NBSSP345-12: Testimony of Nationally Representative Groups (issued July 1971, SD Catalog No. C13. 10:345-12, price $1.50) COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON THE U.S. METRIC STUDY NBS SP345: To be published in August 1971 Those publications with catalog numbers have already been issued, and may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 for the prices indicated. Add one- fourth of the purchase price if the publication ordered is to be sent to a foreign address. Be sure to include the SD Catalog number with your order. NATIONAL BUfeMJ OF STSSSAS03 sep ^ ™n cote- R^. U.S. METRIC STUDY „ INTERIM REPORT THE CONSUMER Seventh in a series of reports prepared for the Congress U.S. METRIC STUDY Daniel V. De Simone, Director VJ- L National Bureau of Standards ~t, Special Publication 345-7 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Maurice H. Stans, Secretary NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS Lewis M. Branscomb, Director Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Spec. Publ. 345-7, 152 pages (July 1 97 1) CODEN: XNBSA Issued July 1971 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents. U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington. D.C. 20402 (Order by SD Catalog No. C 1 3.10:345-7), Price S 1 .25 Stock Number 0303-0864 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL THE HONORABLE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE THE HONORABLE SPEAKER OFTHE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SIRS: I have the honor to present the seventh in the series of interim reports stemming from the U.S. Metric Study, prepared by the National Bureau of Standards. This Study was authorized by Public Law 90-472 to reduce the many un- certainties concerning the metric issue and to provide a better basis upon which the Congress may evaluate and resolve it. I shall make a final report to the Congress on this Study in August 1971. In the meantime, the data and opinions contained in this interim report are being evaluated by the Study team at the National Bureau of Standards. My final report to you will reflect this evaluation. Respectfully submitted. Secretary of Commerce Enclosure in LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Honorable Maurice H. Stans Secretary of Commerce Dear Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to transmit to you another interim report of the U.S. Met- ric Study, which is being conducted at the National Bureau of Standards at your request and in accordance with the Metric Study Act of 1 968. The Study is exploring the subjects assigned to it with great care. We have tried to reach every relevant sector of the society to elicit their views on the metric issue and their estimates of the costs and benefits called for in the Metric Study Act. Moreover, all of these sectors were given an opportunity to testify in the extensive series of Metric Study Conferences that were held last year. On the basis of all that we have been able to learn from these conferences, as well as the numerous surveys and investigations, a final report will be made to you before August 1971 for your evaluation and decision as to any recommendations that you may wish to make to the Congress. The attached interim report includes data and other opinions that are still being evaluated by us to determine their relationship and significance to all of the other information that has been elicited by the Study. All of these evaluations will be reflected in the final report. Sincerely. Lewis M. Branscomb. Director National Bureau of Standards Enclosure IV 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Letters of Transmittal iii, iv Foreword vi I. Summary 1 II. Nature of the Consumer Study 3 III. Survey of Consumer Knowledge and Attitudes 6 IV. Selected Areas of Consumer Concern 3 Appendix 1. Metric Study Act 138 Appendix 2. Glossary 139 v . FOREWORD The U.S. Metric Study needed to determine the attitudes of Americans toward the metric system and their knowledge of it. This was done through a representative sample of American households surveyed by the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan under the direction of Professor George Katona. In this volume, Professor Katona and his staff at the Survey Research Center report on their efforts to determine: ( 1 ) How much the American people know about the metric system, (2) Their attitudes toward the use of it, (3) Their opinions regarding conversion to it, and (4) Their preferences as to what methods should be used to improve public knowledge about it. To supplement the report of the Survey Research Center, several papers on selected areas of consumer interest are included in this volume. We are grateful to the individuals and organizations who contributed these papers and to the American Home Economics Association and its Executive Director, Dr. Doris Hanson, who arranged for their preparation. Reports covering other substudies of the U.S. Metric Study are listed on the inside front cover. All of these, including this report, are under evalua- tion. Hence, they are published without prejudice to the comprehensive re- port on the entire U.S. Metric Study, which will be sent to the Congress by the Secretary of Commerce in August of 1 97 1 The preparation of this volume was coordinated by Bruce D. Rothrock. Other members of the Metric Study staff who assisted him were Jeffrey V. Odom, Robert W. Carson, Mrs. Linda J. Luhn, Miss Jean M. Simon, Mrs. Evelyn Tallerico, and Miss Debora Gilbert. In this, as in all aspects of the U.S. Metric Study, the program has benefited from the independent judgment and thoughtful counsel of its ad- visory panel and the many other organizations, groups, and committees that have participated in the study. Daniel V. De Simone, Director U.S. Metric Study VI I. SUMMARY The Metric Study Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-472) called for an extensive study of the present and future effects of increasing worldwide and domestic metric usage on various activities in the United States. The Consumer Study was directed to these effects as they apply to the individual American. A portion of the Consumer Study involved a survey of attitudes and opinions of consumers and their level of knowledge of both the customary and metric systems of measurement. In another portion, experts presented views on the present impact of metrication on selected consumer activities and the possible future effects with no national program to increase metric use; or, alternatively, with a planned program of metrication. The sample survey disclosed that a majority of consumers are satisfied with the customary system, that they know very little about the metric system, and that they could be expected to react with apathy and indif- ference to any planned conversion program. Those who did not react favorably to metrication gave as reasons, "inconvenience of a change," and "satisfaction with the present system." However, many of them admitted that metrication did have some advantages. Those who thought it was a good idea to change explained, "It is used by most other countries," and "It is a decimal system and easier to use." The fact that a majority of the respondents were unable to name a single metric measure, and relatively few were familiar with either the relationships within the metric system or the relationship of metric units to customary units, suggests that much of the resistance to possible conversion stems from a lack of knowledge of the metric system. This was corroborated by the fact that those who were familiar with the metric system generally favored con- version, emphasizing the advantages and minimizing the disadvantages. 1 2 THE CONSUMER The level of knowledge of the metric system was apparently related to the educational level and to the age of the respondent. Young people and highly educated people generally were more knowledgeable. Respondents seemed more familiar with prefixes and the relationship of base units and subunits in the metric system than with the relationship of metric measures to customa- ry measures. Experts submitting papers in selected areas of consumer concern verified that customary units and standards are used almost exclusively in consumer activities. They reported that the consumer is generally satisfied with the customary system and is little affected by the increasing worldwide use of the metric system. In many situations the consumer is totally unaware of the fact that a purchased item may involve metric language, components, or standards.
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