Returning Grids Questionnaire

(no name) ((no email))
Wed, 16 Nov 1994 22:23:13 -0500 (EST)

Calvin:

Wishing you best of success on your venture into programming
a sharp grids suite, I am returning some observations about the use
of Parent Role Repertory Grids Analysis.

Jim Mancuso

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Have you ever used a computerised repertory grid package? If
you have then I would be very grateful if you would complete
the following short questionnaire to help me in my final
year dissertation. I am currently developing a new repertory
grid package for use in Microsoft Windows and need to know
what users of current grid packages think of them and what
could be improved.

I intend to make the new package very simple to use with
plenty of on-line help. It will be a complete package that
will include multi-elicitation methods, multi-grids,
multi-analysis methods and will hopefully be compatible with
most MS Windows software for export purposes.

Please edit and return the questionnaire as soon as
possible.

Calvin Badger
Anglia Polytechnic University, Chelmsford, Essex, England.
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1) Which repertory grid package(s) have you used?

Parent Role Repertory Grid Analysis (PAREP), implemented by
J. Mancuso and J. Jaccard, University at Albany, Albany, NY

2) For what purpose was it/were they used? (e.g.
counselling, marketing etc.)

Extensive research project attempting to relate aspects of
mother's parent role repertory to (a) attachment
relationship of mother/child, and (b) child's orientation
to mastery in problem solving.

3) Why did you choose this/these package(s)?

PAREP was designed as a suite of programs which would allow
for data collection and extraction of content and structural
measures which could summarize mother's construct system
regarding parent role. The research explores the ways in
which such a dedicated role repertory analysis would allow
for quantification of individual role repertories regarding
a major life role.

4) What were the packages' strong points?

PAREP seeks to lay out parameters regarding one important
life role
PAREP was designed for easy transfer and compression of
data, so that a variety of built-in statistical procedures,
as well as standard packages (SPSS) might be used with the
data.

5) What were it's/their shortcomings?

A clear shortcoming is the use of keyboard for entering
data. A touch screen, if of demonstrated reliability would
be most useful. This is particularly the case with PAREP,
since we used a scale extending from -9 to +9. Though we
did everything possible to keep participants alert to the
need to press the - sign, where appropriate, we wonder if
they sometimes neglected to do so.

6) How would you improve the package(s)?

A graphical interface, using colorful displays, etc.,
would help. The "plain vanilla" presentations which we
developed would more easily lead to boredom, we thought.
If, for example, the initial instructions would be presented
with one type of display, and that display would be used
consistently with interspersed instructions, so that the
respondent would clearly see that such instructions differed
from the actualy data entry instructions, the respondent
should remain more alert.

7) What would make an ideal repertory grid package for you?

A package that would assist us to convince our colleagues
(journal editors, other grid users, etc.) that notions of
reliability, validity, etc., which we have been induced to
accept, are not applicable to grids analysis!!! That is,
that we have other approaches to issues which seem to be
resolved by standard tests of reliability, validity, etc.

GOOD LUCK

i-net: isdcmb@v-e.anglia.ac.uk