The structural quadrants method: A new approach to the assessment of construct system complexity via the repertory grid

This article presents a new mathematical method (the Structural Quadrants Method) for the assessment of construct system complexity via the repertory grid. The Structural Quadrants Method (SQM) is presented step by step, and its sensitivity to grid structure is illustrated by applying it to five case studies. A validational study demonstrating the discriminative power of the SQM and comparing it to traditional measures is included. Results indicate that the SQM discriminates between a group of 11 experts and one of 11 novices in terms of grid complexity as expected (i.e., detecting high degrees of differentiation and integration in the experts’ grids and low degrees of differentiation and integration in the novices’ grids). The discriminative power of the SQM is unparalleled by the traditional measures of grid structure compared in this article. The article ends with a section on the distinctive advantages of the SQM and some suggestions for future research.