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This article examines the use of the repertory grid technique as a method to investigate learner perceptions in language education research. An important issue raised in this article concerns how far a researcher's agenda may be unintentionally imposed onto a research study which is investigating learners' perceptions, and how far the ensuing data may provide an accurate representation of the learners' viewpoints. A discussion of conventional research methods in perception research indicates the limitations of many structured research instruments such as questionnaires, surveys and interviews with regard to gaining reliable insights into learners' views. The article considers the potential of using the repertory grid technique in perception research in terms of minimizing researcher influence and obtaining data that reflects learners' perceptions. Taking a research study on the perceptions of secondary school learners of the language classroom as an example, the article demonstrates how building repertory grids can reveal insights into the learners' thought processes and give the researchers access into the different ways learners view the classroom. The article also considers some issues in terms of data analysis and the interpreting of language data. It concludes that the repertory grid technique is a useful approach in perception research which can provide valuable data that is revealing of participants' actual views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays there are multiple ways to perceive music, from attending concerts (live) to listening to recorded music through headphones (medial). In between there are many mixed modes, such as playback performances. In empirical music research, this plurality of performance forms has so far found little recognition. Until now no measuring instrument has existed that could adequately capture the differences in perception and aesthetic judgment. The purpose of our empirical investigation was to capture all dimensions relevant to such an assessment. Using 3D-simulations and dynamic binaural synthesis, various live and medial situations were simulated. A qualitative survey was conducted at the Department of Audio Communication of the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin). With the help of the repertory grid technique, a data pool of approximately 400 attribute pairs was created and individual rating data were collected. Our first study served to create a semantic differential. In a second study, this semantic differential was evaluated. The development of the semantic differential was carried out by first using a mixed-method approach to qualitative analysis according to grounded theory. Thereafter, a principal component analysis reduced the attribute pairs to 67 items in four components. The semantic differential consists of items concerning acoustic, visual and audio-visual interaction as well as items with an overarching assessment of the stimuli. The evaluation study, comprising 45 participants (23 male and 22 female, M  =  42.56  years, SD  =  17.16) who rated 12 stimuli each, reduced the items to 61 and resulted in 18 subscales and nine single items. Because the survey used simulations, the social component may be underrepresented. Nevertheless, the questionnaire we created enables the evaluation of music performances (especially for classical concerts) in a new scope, thus opening many opportunities for further research. For example, in a live concert context, we observed not only that seating position influences the judgment of sound quality but also that visual elements influence immersion and felt affect. In the future, the differential could be reviewed for a larger stimulus pool, extended or used modularly for different research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Considering teachers’ roles in developing children’s scientific literacy in preschools, a better understanding of pre-service teachers’ conceptualizations about scientific inquiry and scientists’ practices that have an impact on the science teaching practices offered to their future students is very much needed. Stereotypes were examined here as a component or root for many of the explanations for pre-service teachers’ conceptualizations about scientists. Aligned with the interpretivist paradigm, this phenomenographic study was, mostly qualitative in nature, specifically concerned with exploring pre-service teachers’ stereotypes of scientists by using the repertory grid technique, in which they perceived and differentiated between scientists. 119 early childhood pre-service teachers were recruited. Various types of analysis were carried out to analyze the data gathered in each repertory grid. We investigated the original 66 elicited bipolar constructs into 28 aggregated bi-polar construct groupings, systematically categorized into four bi-polar categories: (1) Recognition vs. Disregarded, (2) Scientific Integrity vs. Misconduct, (3) Communal vs. Dissociation, and (4) Agentic vs. Passivity. The findings suggest that pre-service teachers had typical stereotypical traits of scientists like being introverted, intelligent loners, into experiments and masters in their field with often-unrecognizable female figures. However, there was no association between gender, grade, and stereotypes of scientists elicited in the study. These types of stereotypes of scientists might potentially threaten effective science teaching at early ages. Science education practices can be rooted in these stereotypes of pre-service teachers. Considering these findings, structural changes in science education practices in teacher education programs are very much needed. This study also seems to confirm the importance of using the repertory grid technique as a good starting point to expose especially the implicit stereotypes of pre-service teachers about “who does science”, “how scientists think” and “what scientists do” before their actual actions in future classrooms.

Considering teachers' roles in developing children's scientific literacy in preschools, a better understanding of pre-service teachers' conceptualizations about scientific inquiry and scientists' practices that have an impact on the science teaching practices offered to their future students is very much needed. Stereotypes were examined here as a component or root for many of the explanations for pre-service teachers' conceptualizations about scientists. Aligned with the interpretivist paradigm, this phenomenographic study was, mostly qualitative in nature, specifically concerned with exploring pre-service teachers' stereotypes of scientists by using the repertory grid technique, in which they perceived and differentiated between scientists. 119 early childhood pre-service teachers were recruited. Various types of analysis were carried out to analyze the data gathered in each repertory grid. We investigated the original 66 elicited bipolar constructs into 28 aggregated bi-polar construct groupings, systematically categorized into four bi-polar categories: (1) Recognition vs. Disregarded, (2) Scientific Integrity vs. Misconduct, (3) Communal vs. Dissociation, and (4) Agentic vs. Passivity. The findings suggest that pre-service teachers had typical stereotypical traits of scientists like being introverted, intelligent loners, into experiments and masters in their field with often-unrecognizable female figures. However, there was no association between gender, grade, and stereotypes of scientists elicited in the study. These types of stereotypes of scientists might potentially threaten effective science teaching at early ages. Science education practices can be rooted in these stereotypes of pre-service teachers. Considering these findings, structural changes in science education practices in teacher education programs are very much needed. This study also seems to confirm the importance of using the repertory grid technique as a good starting point to expose especially the implicit stereotypes of pre-service teachers about "who does science", "how scientists think" and "what scientists do" before their actual actions in future classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human Trafficking (HT) has serious social and economic implications for both society and the victims of the crime. Despite being one of the most complex crimes to detect and investigate, multi-agency collaboration can often underpin effective investigations. There remains, however, a scarce evidence-based knowledge concerning the investigation of HT and police collaboration with partner agencies. The present study examines police collaborations in England and Wales when investigating HT, providing empirical knowledge on (i) the types of support police officers usually require from other agencies when investigating HT crimes; (ii) the agencies with whom they usually collaborate; and (iii) the types of support agencies can provide. The study uses the Repertory Grid Technique to gather and analyse data from 28 investigators from nineteen police units in England and Wales investigating trafficking crimes. Data from the individual grids was analysed through content and descriptive analysis. A median grid was created and analysed through principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. The study identified that police officers need to collaborate with partner agencies when working with victims, planning and assisting police operations/strategies, building the criminal intelligence picture and obtaining information about premises/companies and individuals. Findings also reveal that the police believe they need to rely upon several key agencies for each category of support. Findings evidence the need for police collaboration with partner agencies to secure victim-centred and intelligence-led investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A truism of modern organizational life is that organizations collaborate. They may collaborate to meet client needs, acquire resources, or gain legitimacy. They may be required to collaborate by funders, but have little direction beyond this basic mandate. In this situation, how do managers choose collaborative partners? What is important to them and when is it important? While institutional and resource-dependence theories emphasize environmental factors driving collaboration, only recently has attention has been given to factors individuals identify as important when making choices about who to collaborate with, and for what purpose. This study uses the repertory grid technique, an innovative method based on personal construct theory, to explore what is important in the minds of nonprofit managers when navigating the world of collaboration and partner selection. The results reveal that managers prioritize different traits when selecting partners depending on the type of collaboration. We conclude with a review of current collaboration theories, where the findings from this study support and deviate from them and offer five new propositions about the complex, situation-dependent nature of partner selection in the minds of nonprofit practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Tasarim+Kuram is the property of KARE Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the aging society, there is an increasing need for services and software focused on older people. Digital games are one option of software to be provided as tools for entertainment, education, and well-being. However, to deliver these benefits, games must be developed according to the needs and preferences of older people. Seeking to improve the process of eliciting preferences from the target public, we applied Repertory Grid Technique (RGT) during the participatory design of a game. RGT is a cognitive interviewing technique based on Personal Construct Psychology, which has applications in different areas, including computer science. Although many articles discuss the application of RGT in the development of systems, we did not find, in the literature, any application of the technique with older people. We developed a game focusing on older people to understand better how such technique could contribute to game development, following action research methodology. We carried out three cycles of action research, all of which involved the use of RGT. The results indicate some benefits of using RGT instead of traditional semi-structured interviews. The main contribution of this work is to provide researchers with an initial understanding of the benefits of the application of the Repertory Grid Technique for the interviews with older people and how to use it during a participatory design.

Abstract Background The improvement of psychological treatments for depression in young adults is a pressing issue highlighted in the literature. Its relevance is determined not only because young adults are underrepresented in research, but also to prevent chronic severe mental health disorders later in life. Engagement is considered a key factor for a good therapeutic outcome, especially among young patients. In this sense, virtual reality could be particularly suited to engage young adults in the therapy process. This project aims to improve the psychological treatment of mild-to-moderate depression in young adults by testing out the efficacy of virtual reality-enhanced personal construct therapy (PCT-VR), as compared to personal construct therapy alone (PCT) and to the reference standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In contrast to CBT, PCT neither educates patients about depression nor gives them directions on the changes to be made in their dysfunctional behaviors or cognitions. Rather, PCT explores the coherence (or conflicts) of thoughts and behaviors with respect to the person’s sense of identity and focuses on meaning-making processes. Methods The efficacy of this innovative intervention (PCT-VR) will be compared to PCT and to CBT in a randomized clinical trial. The study includes an appraisal of therapists’ adherence and independent assessments to preserve internal validity. The Beck Depression Inventory-II is the primary outcome measure for calculating both statistical and clinical significance, but other outcomes will also be assessed (e.g., functioning, well-being, anxiety, stress) at pre- and post-therapy and at 6-month follow-up. The trial will be conducted in a naturalistic context, mostly at the usual health care center of each patient. A sample of 225 participants is targeted to reach enough statistical power to accomplish the goals of the study. Discussion We expect that providing evidence for PCT-VR will widen the repertoire of evidence-based technology-based psychotherapeutic interventions for young adults and contribute to the prevention of deteriorating courses of the disorder. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04321525 . Registered on 18 February 2020

Since the development of personal construct theory, the repertory grid technique (RGT) has been the most recognized tool to elicit personal constructs. Although RGT was found to be a viable scientific and practical method in different fields, its utilization in the built environment has been extremely limited. Therefore, this study aimed to explore RGT as a research method and advance its use in the built environment field. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, this study conducted a systematic review to identify studies on Scopus that have used RGT before 2021. These studies were investigated according to subject area, location, year of publication, aim, and research design. Among the 782 studies contributing to more than 24 subject areas, 30 used RGT within the built environment scope. Results indicated the validity of RGT to the built environment by exploring different ways it may be employed. This review strongly recommends advancing the use of RGT in the built environment and taking advantage of its potential.

This article offers an alternative methodological approach to the exploration of subjective experiences by studying individuals' personal views of perceived colours. The study aims to investigate the construals of individuals related to perceived colours using an idiographic approach. The subjective approach proposed is based on the theory of personal construct psychology and the methodology of the repertory grid technique. A repertory grid experiment was conducted to determine individuals' ways of construing colours and examine the collective understanding of the content and structure of individuals' construals concerning perceived colours. Sixty undergraduate students participated in the experiment, yielding 60 different repertory grids that included a number of personal constructs indicating the construal process of participants in differentiating between 11 basic colours. Participants produced their own semantic bipolar dimensions for comparing the perceived colours and creating differential ratings according to their personal constructs. The elicited data were evaluated using qualitative content analysis to understand the differences between individual systems of constructs and investigate the commonality of shared constructs relating to colours. The data were also analyzed quantitatively to investigate the common structure of and interrelationship between elicited constructs and perceived colours. The outcomes have the potential to contribute to academic and practical knowledge concerning colour perception, as well as encouraging further studies with an idiographic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The improvement of psychological treatments for depression in young adults is a pressing issue highlighted in the literature. Its relevance is determined not only because young adults are underrepresented in research, but also to prevent chronic severe mental health disorders later in life. Engagement is considered a key factor for a good therapeutic outcome, especially among young patients. In this sense, virtual reality could be particularly suited to engage young adults in the therapy process. This project aims to improve the psychological treatment of mild-to-moderate depression in young adults by testing out the efficacy of virtual reality-enhanced personal construct therapy (PCT-VR), as compared to personal construct therapy alone (PCT) and to the reference standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In contrast to CBT, PCT neither educates patients about depression nor gives them directions on the changes to be made in their dysfunctional behaviors or cognitions. Rather, PCT explores the coherence (or conflicts) of thoughts and behaviors with respect to the person's sense of identity and focuses on meaning-making processes.Methods: The efficacy of this innovative intervention (PCT-VR) will be compared to PCT and to CBT in a randomized clinical trial. The study includes an appraisal of therapists' adherence and independent assessments to preserve internal validity. The Beck Depression Inventory-II is the primary outcome measure for calculating both statistical and clinical significance, but other outcomes will also be assessed (e.g., functioning, well-being, anxiety, stress) at pre- and post-therapy and at 6-month follow-up. The trial will be conducted in a naturalistic context, mostly at the usual health care center of each patient. A sample of 225 participants is targeted to reach enough statistical power to accomplish the goals of the study.Discussion: We expect that providing evidence for PCT-VR will widen the repertoire of evidence-based technology-based psychotherapeutic interventions for young adults and contribute to the prevention of deteriorating courses of the disorder.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04321525 . Registered on 18 February 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Psicoterapia is the property of Revista de Psiquiatria y Psicologia Humanista, S.L. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Clara Paz,1 Mari Aguilera,2 Marta Salla,3 Victoria Compañ,3 Joan C Medina,3,4 Arturo Bados,3 Eugeni García-Grau,3 Antoni Castel,5 José Cañete Crespillo,6 Adrián Montesano,7 Leticia Medeiros-Ferreira,8 Guillem Feixas3,4 1School of Psychology, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador; 2Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 3Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 4The Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 5Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Tarragona, Spain; 6Department of Psychiatry, Hospital de Mataró, Mataró, Spain; 7Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain; 8Nou Barris Nord Adult Mental Health Centre, Barcelona, SpainCorrespondence: Clara Paz Jose Queri y Av, De Los Granados, Quito EC170125, EcuadorTel +593 2 3981000 ext. 2518Email clara.paz@udla.edu.ecBackground: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a debilitating syndrome, more prevalent in women, which is aggravated by the presence of depressive symptoms. In the last decade, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has demonstrated to reduce such depressive symptoms and pain in these patients, but there are still a considerable number of them who do not respond to interventions. The complexity of the disorder requires the consideration of the unique psychological characteristics of each patient to attain good outcomes. One approach that could accomplish this goal might be personal construct therapy (PCT), an idiographic approach that considers identity features and interpersonal meanings as their main target of intervention. Then, the aim of the study is to test the efficacy of PCT as compared to a well-established treatment in the reduction of depressive symptoms in women with fibromyalgia.Methods and Analysis: This is a multicenter randomized controlled trial. In each condition participants will attend up to eighteen 1-hr weekly therapy sessions and up to three 1-hr booster sessions during the following 3– 5 months after the end of treatment. The depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) will be the primary outcome measure and it will be assessed at baseline, at the end of therapy, and at 6-month follow-up. Other secondary measures will be applied following the same schedule. Participants will be 18- to 70-years-old women with a diagnosis of FM, presenting depressive symptoms evinced by scores above seven in depression items of the HADS-D. Intention-to-treat and complete case analyses will be performed for the main statistical tests. Linear mixed models will be used to analyze and to compare the treatment effects of both conditions.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02711020.Keywords: psychotherapy, pain, repertory grid technique, study protocol, CBT, personal construct therapy

Many manufacturers look to business solutions to provide growth; however, success is far from guaranteed, and it is unclear how such solutions can create superior perceived value. This article explores what constitutes value for customers from solutions over time--conceptualized as "value in use"--and how this arises from quality perceptions of the solution's components. The authors develop a framework for solution quality and value in use through 36 interviews combining repertory grid technique and means-end chains. The findings significantly extend the extant view of quality as a function of the supplier's products and services, and show that customers also assess the quality of their own resources and processes, as well as the quality of the joint resource integration process. The authors report that value in use corresponds not just to collective, organizational goals but also to individuals' goals, a finding that strongly contrasts with prior research. Four moderators of the quality-value relationship demonstrate customer heterogeneity across both firms and roles within what the authors term the "usage center." When shifting toward solutions, manufacturers require very different approaches to market research; account management; solution design; and quality control, including the need for value-auditing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic reviews on multigenerational work settings reveal fragmented findings in a variety of work-related variables, including work values and motivation. Previous studies about generational differences mainly employed questionnaires and yielded many contradicting findings. A possible explanation may be embedded in the way in which work-related aspects are differently perceived by different generations. Asking respondents belonging to different generations how much they value for example meaningful work, is in a way comparing apples and oranges, since meaningful work may mean different things to different generations. This study focuses on perceptions about motivators. We introduce a cognitive approach whereby the repertory grid technique is employed to tap into different generations' minds how they perceive various work motivators. Results reveal that the value assigned to various motivators does not significantly differ across generations. However, how several motivators are perceived, shifts across generations. Generational perceptual differences may explain why identical motivators have dissimilar impacts on different generations. We argue that only when perceptual differences about work-related aspects are clarified, we will be able to really measure differences in the value assigned to these aspects. Hence, we further the debate about the way how generations are researched and offer avenues for future generational research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the researchers propose a complementary methodological approach to determine how much participants may benefit from a psychoeducation program based on emotion-focused therapy (EFT). We designed the project as a multiple quantitative case study conducted with eight participants enrolled at a university in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. All participants were undergraduates in a psychological counselling and guidance program in the 2018–2019 spring semester. We collected research data through the repertory grid technique, which is a semi-structured interview method. We detected the distance between the elements (actual self, ideal self, me before the psychoeducation program started) by calculating the standardized Euclidean distance coefficient. Our findings showed that the distance between the elements of actual self and me before the psychoeducation program started was significant. Findings at the phenomenon level showed that the psychoeducation program applied in this study was successful. Findings indicated that therapeutic success could be measured through the idiographic findings at the individual level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A frequent use of conversational user interfaces (CUIs) today is improving the users' experience with online quantitative surveys. In this paper, we explore the use of CUIs in qualitative surveys. As a concrete use case, we adopt a specific, well-structured, qualitative research method called the repertory grid technique (RGT). We developed a hybrid user interface (HUI) that combines a graphical user interface (GUI) with a CUI to automate the distinct stages in a RGT survey. A pilot study was used to verify the feasibility of the approach and to fine-tune interface aspects of an initial prototype. In this paper, we report the results of a within-subject lab experiment with 24 participants that aimed to establish the performance and UX in a realistic context of a more advanced prototype. We observed a small decrease in UX in some hedonistic aspects, but also confirmed that the HUI performs similarly to a human agent in most pragmatic aspects. These results provide support for our hypothesis that automating qualitative surveys is possible with proper interface design. We hope that our work can inspire other researchers to design additional tools for qualitative survey automation, especially now that generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT, open up interesting new ways for computer systems to interact with users in natural language. [Display omitted] • Explored CUIs in qualitative survey automation, focusing on RGT methodology. • Developed HUI integrating GUI and CUI for experimenting RGT automation. • Conducted lab experiment with 24 participants for the HUI idea evaluation. • The HUI prototype showed UX decrease in hedonism, yet matched human agents pragmatically. • Our findings support AI-driven qualitative survey automation potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Repertory Grid Technique (RGT) is a qualitative method, based on the Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) theory, which provides a powerful tool to elicit tacit personal construction systems, with minimal intervention and interpretation. Although the contributory potential of the RGT as a cognitive research tool in science education has been documented, few researchers are familiar with it. In this article we describe in detail the principles and steps of the RGT, and how it can be utilised, including practical recommendations and analyzed examples. We illustrate how different studies in science education have utilised the diverse models of the RGT to address different research questions, and its advantages and contribution to the field. We hope to open a window to the PCP theory and the use of the RGT as a profound method for science education research, which may have implications for teaching and learning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information source preferences of small-scale fishers can play a role in decision-making processes and affect the sustainability of small-scale fisheries. In this respect, determining useful communication tools to eliminate the information gaps and lack of information of fishers is important for sustainable and effective fisheries management. The purpose of this study was the determination of the preferred source of information and priorities of the small-scale fishers who operate along the Aegean Sea coast of Turkey. Data were collected from a random sample of 278 small-scale Turkish fishers located along the Aegean coastline via face-to-face interviews. Information source preferences of fishers were determined by Repertory Grid Technique. In the analysis, obtaining information about fisheries focused on three criteria such as marine ecology, fisheries technology, and fisheries policies. The level of importance given by fishers for each criterion was determined. Fishers prefer to get information from other fishers, followed by fishery cooperatives, and their own experiences (χ² (11, n = 278) = 1305.920, P < 0.001). Fishery cooperatives are the closest organizations to fishers. The use of cooperatives as a source of information can be interpreted as an element that can facilitate access to information when evaluated through the "availability" of behavioral economics. Fishery cooperatives, which stand out in fishers' information source preferences, have the potential to be a valuable source of information in all aspects. The results of the research are thought to benefit researchers from non-governmental organizations, research institutes, and universities that carry out national and international projects with fishers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Bayburt Education Faculty / Bayburt Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Bayburt University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article develops a holistic framework of destination image formation capturing the dynamic nature of the image and incorporating information sources and socio‐cultural factors. We combine a focused literature review with the findings of an empirical investigation on the image of Turkey. Utilizing the innovative combination of repertory grid technique, scenario analysis, and online information search, we conducted 32 qualitative interviews with U.K.‐based, non‐Turkish participants. The study shows the necessity for a holistic view of destination image and clarifies the dynamic nature of the image by showing how it is transformed through the information flow from traditional and online sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Psicoterapia is the property of Revista de Psiquiatria y Psicologia Humanista, S.L. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Effective knowledge management has been increasingly cited as critical for businesses to compete successfully. Knowledge acquisition/capture, the first step in knowledge management, continues to be a bottleneck and is exacerbated when experts are geographically distributed. Furthermore, knowledge from multiple experts is likely to generate inconsistent knowledge for a given problem domain. There is thus a compelling need to generate consensus by resolving inconsistencies and conflicts that may occur among experts during the process of knowledge acquisition. This process is more challenging when dealing with virtual teams of experts. This study addresses task-based or cognitive conflicts among experts. A key objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of two cognitive techniques-the repertory grid (or RepGrid) and Delphi-in generating consensus among experts during the knowledge capture process. A field experiment with geographically distributed real-world network experts involving multiple rounds of interaction over an extended period of time was conducted. Findings from this research indicate that, in the short run, Delphi works better than the RepGrid in reducing conflict and generating consensus. However, the RepGrid technique appears to perform better in the long run. We find similar results for satisfaction with the process and outcome. Our findings also indicate that experts using the RepGrid technique elicited more knowledge as well as higher-quality knowledge than experts using the Delphi technique. To sum up, our study indicates that RepGrid is superior to Delphi, and therefore managers should seriously consider the use of RepGrid in capturing knowledge from multiple and distributed experts when dealing with complex real-world issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a variety of examples of repertory grid research to assess how and why the technique is used. In particular, the authors focus on the strengths and weaknesses of using the repertory grid to explore the nature of close business-to-business relationships. Compared with the more frequently used technique of qualitative depth interviews, differences were found which suggest that further research is needed to identify what really drives supplier--buyer interdependence. The research indicates the value of the repertory grid in exploring topics that are not well defined and to identify the way that business decision-makers are making sense of their work environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the features of social-relationship systems are analyzed based on the data from a sociopsychological empirical study conducted in two stages (2002 and 2014) on a large sample with the help of g. Kelly’s Repertory grid Technique. A. V. Petrovsky’s three-factor interpersonal-relationships model as interpreted for closed groups by M. Yu. Kondratev and the concept of the closed society as described by Karl Popper provide the foundation for the theoretical hypothesis we tested. The empirical data obtained in 2002 came from 391 participants of different ages who were living in provincial towns in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The elderly respondents (232 people) had lived almost all their lives under the Soviet regime; the middle-aged respondents (159 people) got their education and started their careers in the USSR. Soviet society is considered to be closed because of its authoritarian and collectivist nature, static social structure, and dogmatic ideology. It is argued that both closed societies and closed groups are characterized by a rigid hierarchical social structure, isolation from other systems, and depersonalization of social relations. We have proved that members of a closed group and citizens of a closed society have similar social-relationship matrices.

Population growth (PG) is one of the main drivers of environmental deterioration. Understanding lay perception of PG is important for mobilizing public opinion and support for environmental protection. A range of real-life current ecological problems, including PG, was presented to a sample of a hundred Israeli students without environmental education. We employed George Kelly's repertory grid technique along with principal component analysis to: (a) examine risk perceptions about PG in relation to various ecological problems and (b) identify the perceived risk attributes that influence risk perception of PG. We found that: (a) PG severity was perceived as extremely modest, and that very few respondents viewed it as a catalyst of all other ecological problems that warranted prevention. (b) The most significant predictors of risk evaluation were the perceived certainty of the risk and the level of emotional response it evoked. PG emerges as an idiosyncratic type of risk that is as psychologically distant as possible from most other ecological problems. This reflects a profound lack of understanding of the long-term effects of PG and the underlying causes behind many of today's ecological problems. The importance of raising awareness about demographic factors in environmental degradation is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attributes of suppliers such as capabilities are considered important aspects of successful buyer–supplier relationships. Previous research relates supplier attributes largely to intraorganizational supply chain practices, such as supplier selection and evaluation, and assumes that supplier attributes can be objectively assessed independently of the relationships with suppliers. This study expands on this literature by (1) exploring supplier attributes as perceived by purchasing managers in ongoing buyer–supplier relationships and (2) examining how these perception‐based supplier attributes are associated with performance‐influencing practices, which can in turn shape relational outcomes of the relationships. In doing so, we combine two exploratory qualitative studies. We conduct 60 repertory grid interviews with purchasing managers in Study 1 and 25 semi‐structured interviews with another set of purchasing managers in Study 2. The findings of this study are finally theorized through the supply chain practice view and are summarized into an integrative theoretical model. This study thus provides a more nuanced understanding of perception‐based supplier attributes and their implications on performance‐influencing practices and relational outcomes in buyer–supplier relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this study, we aim to explore how the adolescent girls who have experienced sexual abuse (SA) perceives themselves, their families and their surroundings, using repertory grid technique (RGT) within the scope of personal construct theory (PCT). Materials and Methods: 30 adolescent girls with SA and 25 adolescent girls with no SA were included in the study. RGT was used to assess how the adolescents perceive themselves, their families and their surroundings and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was used to measure self-esteem. Individual and familial characteristics of the participants were evaluated with a sociodemographic data form developed by the researchers. Results: Based on RGT, it was found that adolescents who had experienced SA perceived themselves as more different and distant from their mothers, their siblings and their close female friends compared with those with no SA. However, they perceived themselves as more similar to their friends that they think who have negative properties. In addition, it was determined that the sexually abused girls had excessive cognitive complexity and higher “self-ideal self” discrepancy than those of nonabused controls. Sexually abused adolescents had lower self-esteem on the RSES scores. Conclusion: SA negatively affects self-perception and perception of the surrounding and it damages self-confidence and the confidence towards the world, thus sexually abused adolescents should be followed up for these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of students studying for university qualifications through the medium of English and for whom English is not their first language has increased significantly in recent years. This, along with efforts to widen access to those under-represented in higher education, has brought into focus the question of what academics see as constituting a 'good' piece of student writing. In this small-scale pilot study, Thurstone's method of paired comparisons was used to establish a scale for ranking six essays in terms of how favourably each was viewed by academic lecturers when compared with every other essay in the set. Kelly's repertory grid technique was subsequently applied to interviews conducted with the same lecturers to establish which traits they associated with the upper and lower end of the scale. Findings suggest that this methodology represents a promising approach to establishing what academic tutors regard as the key elements of good writing and thus provides an indication of what English teachers might fruitfully focus on in their teaching of the skill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Even though the academic press recognizes generational diversity and its consequences, the related findings are fractured, and research is incomplete regarding methodology and theoretical background. In adopting a social identity perspective concerning groups and self‐conception, we argue that the social identity perspective is in line with generational identity theory. Employing a cognitive mapping method (repertory grid technique, mixed methods), the present study taps into three generations (Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y) of Belgian managers' minds and demonstrates how they perceive their own and the two other generations. Our research reveals that perceptions of their own and other generations may direct social categorization and generational stereotypes of the in‐group and out‐group(s), that some of these stereotypes can be enacted, and that generational stereotypes do not necessarily coincide with age‐based stereotypes. Several metapatterns in the stereotypes are revealed as well. Hence, we contribute to the emerging field of research that calls for an identity‐based approach rather than a cohort‐based approach to generations and that validates the argument that generations as a workplace phenomenon must be considered a legitimate phenomenon. Insights into generations as social categories give a richer view of the interrelationships between generations in multigenerational situations at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]