A Principal Components Analysis of Grid Differentiation Measures. Issue 1 (25th February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Herrán-Alonso, Juan; Saúl, Luis Angel; Perea-Luque, Juan Rafael; López-González, M. Angeles
• Is Part Of: Journal of constructivist psychology. Volume 35:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 280
• Page End: 294
• Publication Date: 2022-02-25
• Subjects: Personal construct theory -- Periodicals; Constructivism (Psychology) -- Periodicals; 150.1985
• DOI: 10.1080/10720537.2020.1815111
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1072-0537

Abstract

Abstract: Many different cognitive differentiation measures have been developed since the foundation of Personal Construct Psychology in 1955. A relatively small number of studies have explored the component structure of these measures. This study aims to expand this particular area in order to help clarify how to best measure cognitive differentiation. Using a community sample of 898 adults, five distinct repertory grid measures of cognitive differentiation (percentage of variance accounted by the first factor -PVAFF, Intensity, Bieri's index, functionally independent construction -FIC- and Ordination) were explored through Principal Components Analysis. A 2-factor solution was found. Factor 1 (PVAFF and Intensity) accounted for the multivariate measures explaining 55.1% of the variance. Factor 2 (Bieri and Ordination) accounted for the sum-based measures and explained 24.8% of the variance. FIC loaded moderately on both factors. The need for concurrent validity studies of differentiation measures is pointed out. It is also proposed that cognitive differentiation may not be unitary and may thus require more than one index to be correctly measured.