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Abstract
In a study of the effects of repertory grid variations on levels of structural differentiation, 289 participants completed one of 16 different versions of the repertory grid. These versions were defined by fully crossing two different levels of four different factors: elicitation method (difference vs. opposite method), sorting technique (triadic vs. dyadic sorts), element valence (positive vs. split-valence elements) and rating direction (rating down the grid vs. across the grid). Results indicated that higher levels of differentiation were associated with the difference method of elicitation, particularly when the element set was positive. Rating direction had a significant effect on differentiation only in Kelly's (1955) original triadic/difference version of the grid, with higher differentiation levels being associated with rating down the constructs (i.e., holding elements constant). Explanations for these effects emphasize the substantial psychological differences that can be associated with sometimes subtle variations in the repertory grid procedures, and these are interpreted within the broader literature focusing on repertory grid effects.
