Cognitive Organization of Person Attributes: Measurement procedures and statistical models

Theories of social cognition state that person attributes are cognitively organized either by means of a limited number of dimensions or in terms of discrete person types, where traits within a given person type have a unique internal structure. Associated with these two theoretical views are dierent measurement techniques and statistical models. A methodological study compared trait ratings, trait sortings and subset assignments as typical measurement procedures within the theoretical approaches according to the appropriateness of a dimensional or a categorical statistical model. As expected, the results indicate a dimensional model for rating data and a categorical model for sorting data. In contrast, both statistical models failed to explain the structure of subset assignments. It is shown that trait ratings and sortings dier from subset assignments in that only the rst allow for data aggregation and dimension reduction, whereas subset assignments induce a much more complex structure and require a more nely grained data analysis methodology which is provided by Formal Concept Analysis

Oct 2001

Software Program Storage Space Needed 16 new member

Strategies of model construction for the analysis of judgment data

This paper is concerned with the types of models researchers use to analyze empirical data in the domain of social judgments and decisions. Models for the analysis of judgment data may be divided into two classes depending on the criteria they optimize: Optimizing an internal (mathematical) criterion function with the aim to minimize the discrepancy of values predicted by the model from obtained data or incorporating a substantive underlying theory into the model where model parameters are not only formally defined, but represent specified components of judgments. Results from applying models from both classes to empirical data exhibit considerable differences between the models in construct validity, but not in empirical validity. It may be concluded that any model for the analysis of judgment data implies the selection of a formal theory about judgments. Hence, optimizing a mathematical criterion function does not induce a non-theoretical rationale or neutral tool. As a consequence, models satisfying construct validity seem superior in the domain of judgments and decisions