two names from the list. Again, clients are asked how two of the three are
alike and one is different. Many therapists take the list of constructs gener-
ated from the client ’s initial Rep Test and ask the client to evaluate each per-
son on the list according to the construct. This step creates a grid similar to
the one shown in Table 15.3 and allows the therapist and client to look for
patterns across a broad set of information.
The Repertory Grid Technique has been widely used by therapists and
clinical psychologists to obtain a visual map of how clients and thosesuffering from various psychological disorders construe the world (Feixas,Erazo-Caicedo, Harter, & Bach, 2008; Winter, 2003). But the grid technique
has also been used by researchers when studying such diverse topics as com-
munication within a large organization (Coopman, 1997), teaching effective-ness (Chitsabesan, Corbett, Walker, Spencer, & Barton, 2006), profiles of
specific criminal types (Horley, 1996), and career counseling (Savickas,
1997). One reviewer counted more than 3,000 studies using variations of the
Repertory Grid Technique (Neimeyer, 2001).
Like other assessment procedures, the grid technique also has its limita-
tions. One concern is that, unlike other personality measures, the RepertoryGrid Technique does not generate a simple test score (Horley, 1996).
Although various number-generating systems have been developed, the proce-
dure still allows for a large degree of interpretation on the part of the thera-
pist. Another limitation concerns the many assumptions underlying the test.
One assumption when using the Rep Test is that the constructs clients provide
are not limited to the people on the list but also would apply to new people in
new situations. Another assumption is that the constructs elicited during the
test have some degree of permanence. That is, we assume clients are not using
these constructs for the first time in the testing session and never again. A re-
lated assumption is that the people on the list are representative of the kind of
people clients are likely to deal with in their daily lives. Constructs used only
for unique people that clients rarely encounter are of little use in understand-ing how clients deal with the majority of people with whom they interact.TABLE 15.3
Sample Grid
Mom Dad Sister Brother Boss Neighbor Friend Coworker
Pleasant P U U U U U P U Unpleasant
Trustworthy U U U U U U ? U Untrustworthy
Competitive N N C C ? N C C Not CompetitiveWarm W C C C C C ? C Cold
Intelligent N I I I I ? N I Not IntelligentFun D D D D D D F D DullAssessment: The Repertory Grid Technique 429