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Computer
programmes for the analysis of Repertory
Grids
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| Introduction
At the International PCP Congress in Berlin in 1999,
Richard Bell (Melbourne) presented a paper, titled 'Why do statistics with
Repertory Grids?', in which he made some
very enlightening statements
on the topic. It was published in Scheer:
The Person in Society (2000).
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| Older
overview articles
- Bell, R. (1988): Theory-appropriate analysis of repertory
grid data. International Journal of Personal Construct Psychology.
1:101-118
- Sewell, K. W., Adams-Webber, J., Mitterer, J.,
Cromwell, R.
L.
(1992): Computerized repertory grids: Review of the literature.
International Journal of Personal Construct Psychology. 5:1-23
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Repertory Grids can be analysed using procedures that
are parts of standard statistical packages such as SPSS. Richard Bell
(Melbourne) in an unpublished paper titled 'The
Analysis of Repertory Grid Data using SPSS' gives recommendations. It is obtainable for free from
him at this
site.
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| Specific programmes
There are a number of computer programmes developed
specially for the analysis of repertory grids available that run on
PCs. Some are relatively expensive (around 500 US $), some are
available on a shareware type basis (or free), some are on-line
accessible through the Web.
Most of them offer one or more of the following procedures:
- a number of indices characterising grids
- properties of single constructs or elements
- relationships between single constructs (e.g. as
correlations) or elements (e.g. as distances)
- structural relationships between constructs or elements
(factor analysis, principal component analysis or correspondence
analysis, cluster analysis, formal concept analysis)
- structural relationships between constructs and
elements (e.g. single value decomposition after Eckart and Young)
 Slater's INGRID
/GAP package and its derivatives
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| Developed in the
Sixties
for mainframe computers, this is the "Mother of all grid analysis
programmes".
INGRID:
"Principal Components Analysis", essentially an Eckart &
Young decomposition, construct intercorrelations, inter-element
distances.
COIN,
PREFAN, DELTA: various extensions, e. g. comparison of two grids,
joint analysis of several grids etc.
No
graphical output.
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 Chris Evans ' (London) SAS version:
"The following information is embedded to allow automatic
indexing at some future date. The program uses SAS/IML and
SAS/GRAPH to perform analyses of individual repertory grids. It
has been used on SAS version 6.08 for Windows
3.10 (on 3.10, 3.11 and NT 3.5) and on 6.09 under SunOS. The
goptions
setting on line 572 will need resetting for platforms other than
windows."
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Grid
Lab: Otto
Walter's (Berlin) Windows version:
This is essentially SLATER's package adapted for PCs and in
WINDOWS format.
An English language version is available.
It
costs 300 Euro (appr. 300 US
$) for the individual user, and 400
Euro for institutions with unlimited number of copies.
There
is a
Web Site with information, and the programme is available from the
author Otto Walter in
Berlin.
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WINGRID:
Jim
Maxwell Legg's (New Zealand) version:
A WINDOWS
version of SLATER's INGRID. Check
Web Site for information about how to obtain the package.
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Other developments
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FLEXIGRID, by Finn
Tschudi
A
package
developed by Finn Tschudi in Oslo (Norway), containing PCA,
FOCUS-Cluster Analysis, etc. It is available at ca $ 300.
Information:
Finn
Tschudi .
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REPGRID, by Mildred
Shaw and
Brian Gaines
A
package
developed by Mildred Shaw and Brian Gaines, with PCA after SLATER, plus
Cluster Analysis (FOCUS), etc.
In
2004, the authors
have up-dated and re-organised the
RepGrid
package by
introducing the "IV" version. It is now available
for Windows XP as well as OS X systems. Programmes are downloadable and
there is
now a "Research Version" (a license key can be obtained at $500) and a
free "Personal
Version" with limited capabilities.
Information: http://repgrid.com/RepIV/
, Brian
Gaines
/Mildred Shaw (Cobble
Hill, BC, Canada)
Costs:
$
500.
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OMNIGRID
Information:
Ken Sewell
(San Antonio, Texas), Chris Evans (London)
Shareware. Mac and IBM PC version available (DOS)
Chris
Evans: "Omnigrid is a program for analysis of repertory grids
originally written for the
Macintosh (or perhaps an earlier Apple). At present what I have here is
the
zipped archive of the program as translated for the PC." see here.
Costs: none
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WEBGRID
III, by
Mildred Shaw and Brian Gaines
This a simplified free on-line
version of RepGrid. It provides
Principal Component plots ("maps") and Cluster analysis outputs, and
optionally factor loadings matrices and construct inter-correlations.
Grid data are processed on-line in Calgary and can be stored and
retrieved from there.
On-line
administration of grids is possible.
An update to WebGrid IV is currently in
preparation.
Information is here.
Costs:
none
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GRIDSTAT and GRIDSCAL
are two packages written by Richard Bell
(with GRIDSTAT replacing the older G-Pack).
The
programmes are written in DOS which makes the output "amazingly
primitive" as Richard writes (I would prefer "charmingly
old-fashioned").
The
packages offer several options for every
procedure (like factor analysis and cluster analysis) which is
attractive for the expert (who then knows what s/he is doing) but may
be a bit confusing for the low-profile grid user who is happy to use
some kind of standard procedure (e.g. GridLab).
GRIDSCAL
allows simultaneous processing of several grids.
Another
advantage: GRIDSTAT and GRIDSCAL are available for free from his site.
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GRIDCOR, by J. M.
Cornejo and
Guillem Feixas
Correspondence
Analysis for
Grid Data v. 4.0 by José Manuel Cornejo and Guillem Feixas
From
authors' description:
... Performs
the following
analyses on your grid data: correspondence analysis (a factor analytic
method with several advantages over principal component analysis, as
explained in the Manual), two-way cluster analysis (focusing the grid),
distance and correlation
matrices for both elements and constructs, and conflict analysis.
Calculates
the following global grid measures: PVAFF (Percentage of Variance
Accounted by the First Factor), Intensity, Bieri's Cognitive
Complexity, Discriminative Power (Landfield's Ordination), Extremity of
ratings, Extremity bias, Rating range, and conflict scores.
Calculates
the following measures for each construct and element: Co-ordinates and
contributions, Intensity, Discriminative power, and Extremity of
ratings.
Prints
the
following graphic
displays: Dual diagrams for each axis or factor, plotting of any
combination
of two of the five axes or factors, cluster trees for both elements and
constructs, and focused grid.
Information:
Guillem Feixas
(Barcelona), Info-Page
(Spanish version here).
Repertory Grid Manual.
Costs:
US $ 180 / EUR
150 (Institutions: 280 / 240)
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IDIOGRID, by James Grice
A new
package
with everything in it.
Info-Page: Idiogrid
Costs: US $ 85. Examination copy
available.
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ENQUIRE WITHIN
Information: John Mayes (Wellington,
New Zealand). Info-Page:
Enquire
Within. For features of the programme, see also this page.
Costs:
US $
49. A Demo version is available
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GRIDSUITE,
by Martin Fromm and Andreas Bacher
This
is apparently based on the FOCUS cluster analysis routine of L. Thomas,
M. Shaw and B. Gaines. It includes PCAs.
Info-Page:
http://www.gridsuite.de
Costs: 58-630 EUR
(different licensing options available)
A
Demo version is available.
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