Repertory grid and semiotic square

The repertory grid is a technique from Personal Construct Theory designed to uncover and articulate the mental structures you use to evaluate and categorise particular experiences. 

Construct elicitation

The first step is an exercise in comparison and categorisation. 

• Identify a number of comparable phenomena or elements related to the theme or context you are reflecting on — these elements could be objects, people, aspects of self, events, ideas, options, etc. 

• Ask the question “How are two of these elements similar to each other in a way that makes them different to a third?”

• Give a label (adjective) to the characteristic which determines the similarity and another to the difference. “These two are X, whilst the third one is Y.” It's better if Y is an opposite or contrary term rather than just “not X” or "un-X".  This is because "not X" or "un-X" could encompass a range of other concepts, only one of which is Y (see Semiotic square below).

• Repeat, using different combinations of the elements, until you can’t think of any more comparisons.

Grid construction

The next stage involves constructing 5-point evaluation scales from the categories you generated in the first part, with the similarity (most X) at one extreme and the difference (most Y) at the other.

You may wish to determine which end of each scale is preferred within the chosen context.

You can now place each of the elements on all the scales generated. 

The relative merits of each element within the context can now be mapped in a grid.