Repertory Grid Technique

Elements are the 'objects of thought'—the things being evaluated (people, concepts, products, events). Constructs are the dimensions along which elements are evaluated. For example, if your elements are 'my parents, my siblings, my friends,' a construct might be 'emotionally supportive vs. emotionally distant,' describing how you differentiate the elements.

Ask for concrete examples: 'Can you give me someone who is [construct pole] and someone who is [opposite pole]?' Ask for behavioral anchors: 'What would [construct] look like in action?' Record the original words, then ask for clarification; the implicit pole of a construct (e.g., 'tall' naturally opposes 'short') is often clearer than the explicit opposite the respondent provides.

Direct comparison is difficult because constructs are idiosyncratic. However, you can identify common themes by qualitative analysis (which constructs emerge across participants?), or use a mixed approach: elicit individual grids, then ask all participants to rate elements on some shared constructs while preserving individual ones. This bridges idiographic and nomothetic approaches.

Minimum: 7-8 elements to elicit diverse constructs; fewer creates redundancy. Maximum: 15-20 elements (larger grids become tedious). Constructs typically emerge after 10-20, though more can be elicited. Stop eliciting when new constructs repeat themes already captured (saturation).