Conflict measure as proposed by Slade and Sheehan (1979)
indexConflict1(x)A list with the following elements:
total: Total number of triads
imbalanced: Number of imbalanced triads
prop.balanced: Proportion of balanced triads
prop.imbalanced: Proportion of imbalanced triads
repgrid object.
The first approach to mathematically derive a conflict measure based on grid data was presented by Slade and Sheehan
(1979). Their operationalization is based on an approach by Lauterbach (1975) who applied the balance theory
(Heider, 1958) for a quantitative assessment of psychological conflict. It is based on a count of balanced and
imbalanced triads of construct correlations. A triad is imbalanced if one or all three of the correlations are
negative, i. e. leading to contrary implications. This approach was shown by Winter (1982) to be flawed. An improved
version was proposed by Bassler et al. (1992) and has been implemented in the function indexConflict2.
The table below shows when a triad made up of the constructs A, B, and C is balanced and imbalanced:
| cor(A,B) | cor(A,C) | cor(B,C) | Triad characteristic |
| + | + | + | balanced |
| + | + | - | imbalanced |
| + | - | + | imbalanced |
| + | - | - | balanced |
| - | + | + | imbalanced |
| - | + | - | balanced |
| - | - | + | balanced |
| - | - | - | imbalanced |
Bassler, M., Krauthauser, H., & Hoffmann, S. O. (1992). A new approach to the identification of cognitive conflicts in the repertory grid: An illustrative case study. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 5(1), 95-111.
Heider, F. (1958). The Psychology of Interpersonal Relation. John Wiley & Sons.
Lauterbach, W. (1975). Assessing psychological conflict. The British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 14(1), 43-47.
Slade, P. D., & Sheehan, M. J. (1979). The measurement of 'conflict' in repertory grids. British Journal of Psychology, 70(4), 519-524.
Winter, D. A. (1982). Construct relationships, psychological disorder and therapeutic change. The British Journal of Medical Psychology, 55 (Pt 3), 257-269.
indexConflict2() for an improved version of this measure; see indexConflict3() for a measure based on distances.
indexConflict1(feixas2004)
indexConflict1(boeker)
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