No abstract

No abstract

binary data, Boolean algebra, hierarchical classes, set-theoretical model, two-way two-mode matrices,

This study compares two basic variants of the sorting method: single-sort in which each respondent is given only one opportunity to sort the items; and multiple-sort in which the respondent is given several opportunities to sort, each time on a different basis. Kinship terms serve as stimulus materials. Multidimensional scaling solutions show large differences between the two methods with respect to the degree to which the kinship dimensions are used as a basis for sorting. In particular, most respondents ignore the most obvious dimension (sex of the terms) when they believe they have only one opportunity to indicate the dimensions in the set. Similar observations of pairwise judgments in another stimulus domain (consonant phonemes) suggest the same bias may be present in such judgments. Moreover, in both instances hierarchical clustering completely fails to represent the minority of judges who do not ignore the given dimension. These results indicate that a multiple set of judgments from each set of respondents may be superior to a single set of judgments for certain stimulus domains. Finally, the kinship data also indicate that male and female respondents emphasize different kinship dimensions but that aggregated multiple-sort data do appear to reflect the cognitive dimensions present in any given individual.

Terras and phrases that refer to relatively stable physical and psychological traits were extracted from Theodore .Dreiser's A Gallery of Women. A measure of trait co-occurrence for each pair of traits, based on the proportion of times the two traits were attributed to the same character, was used as input for clustering and multidimensional scaling. The resulting structures were interpreted in terms of selected, independently measured properties of the traits. The most relevant properties for interpreting these trait structures are (a) sex of character, (i) conformity, (c) evaluation, and (d) potency (hard-soft). The first property is discussed in terms of Dreiser's involvements with women, and the second property is discussed in terms of his intense struggles with conformity pressures. Evaluation (which is not orthogonal to potency in this study) is relatively weak by contrast with the usual finding reported in the literature. Biographical data indicate that Dreiser was extremely evaluative in his personal life, and the weakness of this property in Gallery may simply reflect a novclistic style that attempts to avoid polarized impressions of the characters. The implications of these findings for identifying general dimensions of person perception arc discussed. The method is applicable to a variety of individuals, where it may not be desirable or even possible to administer rating scales and checklists and where the format and content of such standard instruments may not permit the individual to express his impressions adequately.