Repertory Grid

Purpose
Repertory grid analysis is based on the theory of personal constructs²⁷ which posits that individuals interpret the world in terms of their own personal set of constructs – bipolar abstractions that a given individual uses to distinguish between similar and different elements in the world. The extent to which two individuals share a similar set of constructs indicates the extent to which they experience and understand the world in similar ways. The repertory grid technique is a method for exploring an individual's personal construct system and its organization in order to understand the world of meaning in which that individual lives. It enables an instructor or researcher to unpack the system of constructs a given student uses to make sense of some particular event, context, or set of objects in the world, such as "current coursework," "teachers," or "peers in Psych 101."

Description
Repertory grid analysis consists of two main phases: a knowledge elicitation phase and a rating grid phase. Some version of a grid form is used during both phases (see Figure 1 below).

**Figure 1:** **Example of a Repertory Grid Form**
Similarity or Emergent Pole 1	Elements						Contrast Pole 2
Similarity or Emergent Pole 1	Prof. Apple	Prof. Bean	Prof. Carmel	Prof. Dim	Prof. Enuf	Prof. Fly	Contrast Pole 2
approachable	1	1	5	4	5	1	intimidating
laid-back	3	3	1	1	1	1	task-master
challenging	4	2	3	1	2	5	unengaging
spontaneous lecturer							scripted lecturer
etc.							etc.
Two poles – the similarity or emergent pole and the contrast pole – are listed in columns at either end. Elements (in the middle columns) are rated in terms of the extent to which they belong to either of the poles of a construct. The ratings are placed in a row of the cells between the corresponding poles. The red dots indicate the elements used in each triad.

Knowledge Elicitation Phase. First, an individual's constructs are elicited in response to a given category of elements (different events or objects). During this phase, the student is presented a series of triads of elements, one triad at a time. (The elements in each triad should be randomly selected with replacement; the ordering of triads and ordering of elements within each triad should also be randomized.) For each triad, the participant is asked to state the most important attribute that distinguishes the two most similar members of the presented triad from the third outlying member. The discriminating construct is recorded under the similarity pole (see Figure 1); the opposing construct is recorded under the contrast pole. This process is repeated until the student runs out of constructs (i.e., several constructs are repeated and new constructs no longer emerge). By the end of this phase, each construct is represented as a row in the form (again, see Figure 1).

Rating Grid Phase. Once a representative list of constructs is elicited, the rating grid phase begins. Participants are then asked to score all elements (previous members of the triads used to elicit the constructs in the first place) in terms of each construct (i.e., on all of the bipolar scales represented by the rows in Figure 1) on a 1-5 scale with a "1" rating assigned to the similarity or emergent pole and a "5" rating assigned to the contrast pole. The midpoint "3" of the scale is used to elements that are characterized by neither pole.

General Requirements
Fundamentally, the repertory grid technique is simply a way of structuring a conversation (i.e., a way of asking questions), so it is not a "test" of student understanding in the traditional sense. As such, you run the risk of observer bias – the possibility that participants say what they think you want to hear rather than what they really think. Of course, this problem is not limited to this technique alone, but it does highlight the need to establish a comfortable environment for those participating and to make clear, at the outset, that the information given is confidential and in no way influences grading procedures, etc.

Limitations
Participants' grids may be wildly different from one another (after all, one of the main points of personal construct theory is that individuals bring their own idiosyncratic, interpretive constructs to the task of understanding the world); therefore, analyses of data so generated will require some thoughtfulness on the researcher's part. If you are implementing this strategy for the first time, you may want to consider using one of the software packages designed specifically for such analyses (some links are provided below).

Variations
Data generated using repertory grid techniques can be analyzed in several different ways. The most common methods used include factor analysis, principal component analysis, multidimensional scaling (each extract factors in slightly different ways) and cluster analysis (which produces clusters or groups that indicates common attributes). Analyses can be greatly enhanced with the aid of computer software packages and web applications designed specifically for the repertory grid technique. Such tools can now be found all over the web, but here are a few to get you started...

Example Research Studies

Additional Resources

Fransella F. & Bannister, D. (1977). A manual for repertory grid technique. London: Academic Press.¹⁸
Kelly, G. A. (1955). The psychology of personal constructs, Vol. 1: A theory of personality. New York: W. W. Norton and Company.²⁷
Pope, M. L. & Keen, T. R. (1981). Personal construct psychology and education. London: Academic Press.⁴⁰
Shaw, M. L. G. (1989). Interactive elicitation and exchange of knowledge. International Journal of Personal Construct Psychology, 2, 215-238.⁴⁴