Projective Differential Administration
A typical Projective Differential administration has three essential components and two optional components.
The essential components are:
- a PD stimuls set
- PD topics
- PD choices
The optional components are:
- picture naming
- L-Mode ratings
Essential Components of PD Administration
PD Stimulus Set
There are several different sets of images available for use in PD administrations, and two basic kinds of sets–there are several JOG sets and one RESEARCH set. The set chosen for any given administration depends upon the context, as each set has different particular strengths.
JOG Stimulus sets (J10 or J30):
There are four versions of the J10, each of which is composed of 5 abstract images in 10 pairings that consist of all possible pairings of five abstract images. The pairs are sequenced such that no picture appears in successive pairings and each picture appears an equal number of times in left hand and in right hand positions. The four versions are:
- Classic – The first of the current JOG sets to be developed, the Classic J10 is also the most used. It is rich in terms of generating a variety of associations to epitomizing (and antithetical) pictures, and is good at producing valid quantitative scores.
- Evaluative – The Evaluative J10 set consists of the pictures that most clearly distinguish between connotative opposites such as “good vs. bad,” “strong vs. weak,” etc. thus making possible the calculation of the most valid quantitative scores among all the JOG sets.
- Evocative – The Evocative J10 set was chosen on the basis of its ability to tap into evocative connotative space, i.e., in research the images proved to be rich in terms of the responses to “what do the images make you think of?” and “how do they make you feel?”, while also doing a very good job of producing quantitative connotative scores.
- Open-Source – The newest version of the JOG. This set was recently developed in order to provide a freely available, online version for individual use as a “head-gut check.” It has not undergone the research and testing of the earlier versions, and as such less is known about its particular strengths in comparison with the other versions.
The J30 is actually a combination of the Classic, Evaluative, and Evocative J10s. It has the strengths of each of the J10s, but lacks the ability to determine a single epitomizing picture for topics, instead providing three. The J30 should be used when reliable individual level results are needed for comparisons through time or versus results from within a larger group.
JOGs (as opposed to the Research set) must be used in situations when epitomizing picture scores or picture names are desired for a full utilization and appreciation of the PD choice results. Also, JOGs must be used in situations requiring certain further activities (i.e., Ice Breaker, Associations, Finder, Whole Brain Decision-making and Head/Gut Check).
RESEARCH (R12) Stimulus set:
The R12 set consists of {reg}12 unique pairings of {/reg}24 PD pictures. {reg}Each picture only appears once in a single topic’s administration. {/reg}R12 can be used when same choice scores, INcongruence and/or verbal interpretations along fifty prescored connotative dimensions are sufficient. This stimulus set is probably the most comprehensive for touching the multi-faceted nuances and extremities of PD accessible “connotative space”. On the other hand, it does not permit epitomizing picture scoring and related activities, and is therefore too limited for many consulting purposes.
PD Topics:
Topics are the focus of attention when participants are making PD choices and are denoted by a word or short phrase and may refer to objects, entities, qualities, actions, concepts, etc. The careful selections of Topics comprises a major aspect of designing any PD application.
There are two kinds of topic, “working” and “anchor”. Working topics deal with the issue at hand (e.g., a company, product, person, decision), and anchor topics deal with the aspects of primary interest (e.g., attitudes, identification, qualities).
Working topics are carefully chosen to elicit the information that is being sought, and it is not uncommon to go through multiple sessions, gradually refining the topics as information is gathered.
{reg}While there are multiple possibilities for anchor topics, two that are always used are ‘the picture I prefer (or like better)‘ and ‘myself (the way I really am).’ The Prefer topic is an anchor for measures of attitude, and the Myself topic is an anchor for measure of identification or involvement. To our knowledge, the PD is the only available general purpose nonverbal technique with the capacity to provide identification measures (i.e., the degree to which participants perceive themselves as similar to the thing designated by a working topic).{/reg}
Since the PD task requires focused attention on several things at once: (i.e., a topic, the presented PD picture pairing and one’s recording of the internal response), we have found that there is a maximum limit of about 200 choices for any given administration. For a J10, this would be 20 topics (we actually rarely go beyond 8-10), while for a J30, this has been about 5-7 topics). Doing more topics risks a falling off of attention and concentration among at least some participants, thus tending to invalidate the PD choices on the later topics.
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PD Choices:
The PD response consists of a rapidly made and intuitively based selection of one picture from a pairing of pictures that are simultaneously presented side by side.
Before beginning the round for each topic, participants are guided to relax and focus on the topic. They may think of the topic word or phrase, hold a feeling, remember a sound that represents that topic to them, or whatever else works for them to remain in a state of relaxed focus on the topic at hand. They are also instructed to listen for the audio cue that a pair of images is about to be displayed, and to then look at the screen and pick which image in the pair is “somehow more like” the topic. They then have a couple of seconds to record their response on a scoring sheet before the audio cue lets them know the next pair is about to be displayed so they should again concentrate on the topic and look at the screen.
Each PD choice is made in 0.5 to 1.0 seconds. Although participants’ internal intuitive response may actually occur in about 0.2 seconds, it is useful to present the PD visual pairings for at least 0.5 seconds in order to provide sufficient slack time to ensure that participants can be thinking of the topic while seeing the pictures. Shorter time periods risk attention wandering – not actually seeing the pictures during their presentation and/or not actually thinking about the topic as the pictures appear – either of these wanderings erodes validity of the PD response. Longer presentation time periods guarantee a destruction of the spontaneous, intuitive PD choice process itself through universally incessant cognitive activity such as noting this or that and wondering about this or that during the actual choices. This automatic cognitive behavior erodes connotative PD validity because the PD response IS a focused and spontaneous blend of Pictures, Topic and Self in a moment devoid as much as possible of other cognitive processes.
Warm-ups:
Warm ups are very useful for training participants in the PD choice procedure’s rapid and attention demanding protocol. We use PD pairings and topics for the warm-up that won’t interfere with the study at hand. Warm-up stimuli do not include any pictures from the operative stimulus set (in order to preclude response spill-over effects due to exposure to operative pictures). Usually, a single round with a warm-up topic will be sufficient to prepare participants for the experience with the “real” topics. Warm-up Topics can be objects such as the city you are in, the season of the year, favorite meal, etc., but should be something with which all participants will have some direct experience or knowledge.
Optional Components of PD Administration
Picture Naming:
This optional part of PD JOG administration is done before any scoring is undertaken. It figures dramatically in later maintaining a positive climate in the room via “Ice Breaker” and in creating “AHAs” after the scoring phase that seem often to jolt many participants into more easily accepting their R-Mode products.
Picture naming is also an important component of the PD JOG administration for some uses, particularly those where the creative process is being augmented, or when the qualitative aspects of the perceptions uncovered are likely to contribute important and actionable information.
L-Mode rating, Semantic Differential or adjective check list:
If an INcongruence measure is important to the study, some kind of verbal (SD or adjective check list) or well considered numerical (L-Mode 0-10) rating is necessarily included in the administration. This is best done before any tally scoring is undertaken.
INcongruence is the difference between the implicit perceptions and attitudes uncovered by the PD, and those that are expressed verbally by the participants. Measures of INcongruence provide information regarding the degree of organizational pressure (response bias) or denial is present in the culture. Depending on the direction (i.e., verbal/explicit more positive than implicit vs. implicit more positive than verbal/explicit), high levels of INcongruence may be a signal of hidden dangers or untapped potential.{/reg}
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