The Validity, Long-Term Reliability, Generality, Robustness, and Inter-Relatedness of Selected Repgrid Indices of Cognitive Structure

Cognitive Complexity Measures and the Relationship of Cognitive Complexity to Communication

“…Although several researchers have reported substantial correlations between versions of Bieri's measure and indices of the explanatory power of the first Repgrid factor, with correlations from .58 to .90 (Adams-Webber, 1970;Bieri et al, 1966;Laucht & Krohne, 1978), other investigators have found large negative correlations of -.59 and -.84 (Leitner, Landfield, & Barr, 1975), and most reported correlations range from -.35 to .35 (Kuusinen & Nystedt, 1975;Leitner et al, 1975;Ohbuchi & Horike, 1978;Reker, 1974;Wachter et al, 1976). Smith and Leach's (1972) hierarchical clustering measure has been found to be unrelated to Bieri's measure (Alban Metcalfe, 1974Honess, 1976;Smith & Leach, 1972), to the number of Repgrid factors (Alban Metcalfe, 1978;Honess, 1976). and to the explanatory power of the first Repgrid factor (Alban Metcalfe, 1978).…”

“…Smith and Leach's (1972) hierarchical clustering measure has been found to be unrelated to Bieri's measure (Alban Metcalfe, 1974Honess, 1976;Smith & Leach, 1972), to the number of Repgrid factors (Alban Metcalfe, 1978;Honess, 1976). and to the explanatory power of the first Repgrid factor (Alban Metcalfe, 1978). This dismal picture is not improved, incidentally, by considering still other potential complexity measures (see Vannoy, 1965).…”

“…Bieri's measure does not seem to display this magnitude of association. Alban Metcalfe (1978) and Barratt (1977b) found versions of Bieri's measure to be unrelated to age in samples of children ranging from 8 to 15 years old. Vacc and Greenleaf (1975), using a children's version of Bieri's measure in a study of thirdthrough ninth-graders and adults, did report that "with maturity children become cognitively more complex" (p. 321), but no correlation coefficient was reported.…”