Numbers and Narratives: Quantitative and Qualitative Convergence Across Constructivist Assessments

Abstract

This study was the first to investigate the coherence of personal constructs across three constructivist assessments (repertory grid technique, laddering interviews, and self-characterizations) for 35 adults who were diverse in age and gender. We evaluated the degree of convergence specifically in the areas of cognitive complexity, self-esteem/adjustment, and thematic content of constructs across the three measures, which ranged from primarily quantitative to primarily qualitative in emphasis. Results provided mixed evidence of convergence for the different measures derived from the various methods. For example, although some measures, such as repertory grid-based indices of complexity or differentiation, showed significant correlation, little evidence of triangulation was observed across methods. Likewise, although some measures (e.g., number of hierarchical levels in ladders, number of positive self-appraisals in characterizations) were stable over one month, other scores were less so. Overall, reliable content coding of constructs derived from the grids, ladders, and self-characterizations suggested that each assessment displayed relative strengths in eliciting themes of a moral, existential, or relational character, respectively.

Notes

∗ p < .001.