Sorting tasks Flashcards
What are sorting tasks?
collect qualitative data on how people think and feel about an subject
usually in an interview setting
time consuming
Types of sorting task
Q-Sort Conceptualisations Free sort Structured sort Semi structured sort Multidimensional Scalogram analysis (MSA)
What is a Q sort?
Print statements on cards and participants sort into strongly agree and disagree
Like a questionnaire but forces a positive or negative state onto each statement and can only have a certain amount in each category so creates a forced distribution
What is multiple sorting task/procedure
A way to understand what people think about things
Get the answers without researcher imposed preconceptions
Issues with semantic differential scale
Words are not always opposite ends of a scale
Words are not necessarily those they would use spontaneously or apply to the situation
They are provided constructs which could be leading the participants to a desired outcome if randomisation is not present
Not all constructs are linear constructs or quantitative
How to conduct a sorting task
Items on cards with short label on each one (15-40 items)
Each coded
All from same domain, not too similar and not too different
Then conduct with participants:
Free sort
Structured sort
Semi structured sort
What is a free sort?
Where participants sort the items into as many groups and categories as they see fit with no constraints
What is a structured sort?
You choose the concept of the sort and they choose the categories eg price - high, medium, low and why
What is semi structured sort?
You choose concept, they choose categories eg you choose price, they choose how to categorise them
How do you record info for sorting tasks?
With each sort record reasons why they have categorised each item the way they have
What data comes from sorting tasks?
Constructs people applied eg material, price etc
Categories within each construct
How the constructs were applied to each item
How can sorting task data be displayed?
Multidimensional scalogram analysis
How can a sorting task be used to see how someone feels about a specific thing?
Put the item as one of a number to f items and see how they rank it in comparison to the other items
Broad approaches to sorting task designs (4)
Individual - How a chief of police conceptualises crime (SME information interrogation)
Groups - How do people conceptualise crime
Comparison - offenders and non offenders conceptualise crime
Intervention measurement - Changes in how offenders conceptualise crime pre and post rehab
What do gaps in MSA plots mean?
A combination of events that cannot exist
Poor sampling
A gap in the market?
