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Differences between physical and psychological constructs in repertory grids
Author(s) -
AdamsWebber J.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
british journal of medical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.102
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 2044-8341
pISSN - 0007-1129
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1980.tb02558.x
Subject(s) - psychology , repertory grid , social psychology , independence (probability theory) , developmental psychology , statistics , mathematics
It was hypothesized on the basis of previous findings (Adams‐Webber, 1977) that the meanings of the negative poles of constructs are more differentiated than are those of their positive poles. Forty subjects (20 females, 20 males) each completed a series of four repertory grid tests based successively on the positive poles of psychological constructs (e.g. happy ); negative poles of psychological constructs (e.g. sad ); positive poles of physical constructs (e.g. physically strong ); and negative poles of physical constructs (e.g. physically weak ). As predicted, there was significantly more differentiation (statistical independence) among the negative poles of psychological constructs than among their positive counterparts; however, this relationship was exactly reversed in the case of physical constructs. These results are discussed in relation to the notion that the logical extensions of the negative poles of physical constructs, and possibly those of the positive poles of psychological constructs, converge upon a common reference point.