Grid Stability

W Ramsay ( w.ramsay@Strath.ac.uk )
Thu, 7 Nov 1996 09:09:37 GMT

Two problems with construct elicitation seem to be eliciting the constructs
in the first place and avoiding duplications or trivisl paraphrases in the
second. Getting a decent sample of construing behaviour should be of
paramount importance for our understanding and these problems inhibit this.
(Many published grids seem to be pretty small, even for quite restricted
domains of enquiry.) How do we know when a sample of constructs is big
enough and representative enough? In discussion with a colleague the other
day we wondered about grid stability as an indicator. Presumably if we do
successive analyses as we successively elicit constructs these should
converge on a stable structure, i.e. the order of components' contributions
to variance, and the number and construct loadings of components, should
become increasingly stable, with only some redistribution of small amounts
of variance as newly elicited constructs are added to the analysis.

If that makes sense, could anyone point us at any work on this? If it
doesn't, any contribution to our re-education would be welcomed!

Thanks.

Bill.

Bill Ramsay,
Dept. of Educational Studies,
University of Strathclyde,
Jordanhill Campus,
GLASGOW,
G13 1PP,
Scotland.

'phone: +44 (0)141 950 3364
'fax: +44 (0)141 950 3367
e-mail: w.ramsay@strath.ac.uk

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