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Fabrice Buschini University of Geneva

Facet analysis: a technique to combine structure and content in the study of social representations. Fabrice Buschini University of Geneva. Outline. Introduction : content and processes in the different approaches in the study of SRs. What is facet analysis basic principle

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Fabrice Buschini University of Geneva

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  1. Facet analysis: a technique to combine structure and content in the study of social representations. Fabrice Buschini University of Geneva

  2. Outline • Introduction : content and processes in the different approaches in the study of SRs. • What is facet analysis • basic principle • facets and mapping sentence • The Smallest Space Analysis • principle • distinctive features • basic structures • Interpretation of SSA • Relevance of facet analysis for the study of SRs • checking or re-evaluation existing models • locating position of different groups 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  3. Processes and content • This distinction is very common and heuristic in science. • Focusing on the processes, one hopes to understand the principles of phenomena in a kind of universalistic dream. • On the contrary, the content in the flesh, which makes the phenomenon alive, particular and inserted in social world • If the focus is maintained only on one side, it can be prejudicial to the comprehension of the phenomenon • it is why, from the beginning, the SR theory insists on the necessity to investigate both content and processes in the study of SRs 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  4. Three Schools in the study of SRs • Following the seminal work of Serge Moscovici on the SR of psychoanalysis (1961), three schools were developed for the study of SR • School of Paris • anthropological approach mainly qualitative based on observation, interviews and questionnaires • School of Aix (central core theory) • structural approach mainly quantitative based on interviews, questionnaires and above all words associations • School of Geneva (organizing principles theory) • mainly quantitative, it aims to study the common principles organizing a SR and the individual position relating to those principles • In theory, those school attach the same importance to the processes and the content. In practice, however, one of those two elements is more or less favoured : • Facet analysis could help to find a better balance between processes and content. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  5. Facet analysis: Basic principle • Resulting from the work of Louis Guttman (1944, 1950, 1977, 1994), facet analysis is a technique based on a method (the smallest space analysis). • It aims to control the adequacy between the theoretical level and the empirical level in a research. • The premise is that a good theory or a good model should be reflected in the empirical data. • The theoretical structure build by the researcher should be found in the structure of the data • The graphical representation of data should fit the structure of the model hypothesized by the researcher. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  6. Defining the facets • The first step is to identify the relevant concepts or dimensions involved in the model: • they will constitute the facets of the model ; • the elements of each facet should be then listed • The second step consists in combining those facets and their elements in a mapping sentence that • allows to check facets are independent and not overlapped • gives a convenient tool in the research planning and the elaboration of the tools for data collection. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  7. Example of a mapping sentence • From a research program by Lorenzi-Cioldi and Buschini (2005) on affirmative action: • representation of personality traits that male and female executives can possess. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  8. The smallest space analysis (SSA) • It is a statistical tool that provides a graphical representation of data matrix in a space as small as possible (Guttman, 1968, 1982). • It belongs to the Multidimensional scaling (MDS) family • but its specificity comes from the coefficient used to measure the relations between variables (elements of the representation) • The Guttman’s coefficient of monotonicity • Contrary to the factor analysis, all the variance of the data is represented in the space. • Of course, the reduction of the dimensions introduces a distortion • coefficient of alienation (stress in MDS) should be lesser than 0.2 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  9. A monotonic relation • It is a relation in which the variables go on the whole in the same way, but not necessary in a linear way. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  10. Basic structures that can be found in SSA • Two prototypical forms can be identified in a SSA: • they can combine together to generate other forms of structure. • The first form, called simplex, corresponds to variables that can be ranked according to their proximity on a continuum: • The more the variables are close, the more they are linked. • The two extreme variables on the continuum are the less linked • This structure can be represented as a line, which is perpendicularly shared by the facet elements 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  11. Representation of a Simplex 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  12. Basic structures that can be found in SSA (2) • The second form appears with variables that can also be ranked according to their proximity. • However, the proximity is not on a continuum, • unless if a continuum without end is considered: • it is a step-by-step proximity. • The structure takes a circular form along which variables are linked step by step. • The facet elements can then be delimited by circles 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  13. Representation of a Circumplex 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  14. Basic structures that can be found in SSA (3) • Combination of two simplexes gives a duplex. • Combination of a simplex and a circumplex produces a radex. • If data are represented in a three-dimensional space, • a duplex can be combined with a simplex to give a triplex, • a radex can be combined with a simplex to produce a cylindrex. • The interested reader can find more information on those basic structures in the very complete chapter by Brown (1985). 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  15. Duplex and Radex 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  16. Back to the example 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  17. Rules of interpretation • It is essential not to interpret the SSA structure as a factorial structure. • You cannot oppose can hide their feeling to sensitive: • It is the same nonsense than opposing Milano to Roma and saying that those two cities give a sense to a north / south direction. • Here, the interpretation should be done in terms of areas. • But this kind of interpretation is easier with if facets are projected on the SSA 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  18. Facet A: gender of traits 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  19. Facet B: valence of traits 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  20. Facet C: Utility of traits 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  21. From two to three dimensions • If we had a dimension to the SSA solution • The coefficient of alienation goes from 0.21 to 0.13 • The new solution will be better: • More complicated, but less distorted • Facet A appears under a similar form in the plane made by dimensions 1 and 2. • Facets B and C appear with a simpler structure in the plane made by dimensions 1 and 3 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  22. Facet A in the plane d1 x d2 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  23. Facet B and C in the plane d1 x d3 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  24. Interest for the study of SRs • The reintroduction of the meaning, the symbolic into the structure • To reunify content and processes • It allows to check or evaluate some existing models • Basic cognitive schemata (Guimelli and Rouquette, 1992) • Bidimensional model of SRs (Moliner, 1994, 1995) • It allows to project different group’s position on the whole structure • By means of supplementary elements 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  25. SCB EXPRESSION DES RELATIONS LEXIQUE A signifie la même chose que votre réponse A peut être défini comme votre réponse A est le contraire de votre réponse VOISINAGE A fait partie, est inclus, est un exemple de votre réponse A a pour exemple, pour cas particulier, comprend, inclut votre réponse A appartient à la même catégorie générale de réponse COMPOSITION A est une composante, un constituant de votre réponse A a pour composante, pour constituant, votre réponse A et votre réponse, sont tous deux les constituants de la même chose, du même objet PRAXIE A fait votre réponse A a une action sur votre réponse A utilise votre réponse C’est votre réponse qui fait A A est une action qui a pour objet, porte sur, s’applique à votre réponse Pour faire A on utilise votre réponse Votre réponse est quelqu’un (personne, institution) qui agit sur A Votre réponse désigne une action que l’on peut faire sur A Votre réponse est un outil que l’on utilise sur A A est utilisé par votre réponse On utilise A pour faire votre réponse A est un outil que l’on peut utiliser pour votre réponse. ATTRIBUTION A est toujours caractérisé par votre réponse A est souvent caractérisé par votre réponse A est parfois caractérisé par votre réponse A doit avoir la qualité de votre réponse Votre réponse évalue A A a pour effet, entraîne votre réponse A a pour cause, dépend de, est entraîné par votre réponse List of BCS 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  26. Fictive structure of the bidimensional model 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  27. Conclusion • Great interest of facet analysis for the study of SRs • It takes into account both content and processes • It respects the dialectical relation between semantic, symbolical, pragmatic aspects of the elements of the representation and their structure • It allows to study both the consensual part of SRs and their group modulations • Technically, it is not more complicated than other statistical software • Facet analysis could be an important source of innovation • If researchers are less conservative and timorous 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  28. References • Abric, J.-C. & Guimelli, C. (2002). La zone muette des représentations sociales : approche théorique et méthodologique, 6th International Conference on Social Representations “Thinking Societies: Common Sense and Communication”, University of Stirling, Scotland, 27th August - 1st September 2002. • Abric, J.-C. & Vacherot G. (1976). Méthodologie et étude expérimentale des représentations sociales : tâche, partenaire et comportement en situation de jeu. Bulletin de Psychologie, XXIX, 735-746 • Borg, I. & Shye, S. (1995). Facet theory: Form and content, Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications. • Brown, J. (1985). An introduction to the uses of facet theory, in D. Canter (ed.), Facet theory. Approaches to social research, New York, Springer-Verlag, p. 17-57. • Canter, D. (ed.) (1985). Facet theory. Approaches to social research, New York, Springer-Verlag. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  29. References (2) • Clémence, A. (2003). L’analyse des principes organisateurs des représentations sociales, in S. Moscovici & F. Buschini (eds), Les méthodes des sciences humaines, Paris, PUF, p. 393-410. • Deschamps, J.-C. & Guimelli, C. (2001). L'organisation interne des représentations sociales de la sécurité/insécurité et l'hypothèse de la “zone muette”, 9ème table ronde “Perspectives cognitives et conduites sociales”, San Sebastian. • Doise, W. (1986). Les représentations sociales : définition d’un concept, in W. Doise & A. Palmonari (eds), L’étude des représentations sociales, Neuchâtel, Delachaux et Niestlé, p. 81-94. • Doise, W. (2001). Droits de l’homme et force des idées, Paris, PUF. • Flament, C. (1986). L’analyse de similitude : une technique pour les recherches sur les représentations sociales, in W. Doise & A. Palmonari (eds), L’étude des représentations sociales, Neuchâtel, Delachaux et Niestlé, p. 139-156. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  30. References (3) • Flament, C. (1987). Pratiques et représentations sociales, in J. -L. Beauvois, R. -V. Joule & J. -M. Monteil (eds), Perspectives cognitives et conduites sociales, 1, Théories implicites et conflits cognitifs, Cousset, Delval, p. 143-150. • Flament, C. (1989). Structure et dynamique des représentations sociales, in D. Jodelet (ed.), Les représentations sociales, Paris, PUF, p. 204-219. • Giraud-Heraud, J. (1974). La notion de groupe : analyse structurale d'une représentation sociale. Mémoire de maîtrise, Université de Provence. • Guimelli, C. (1989). Pratiques nouvelles et transformation sans rupture d’une représentation sociale : la représentation de la chasse et de la nature, in J. -L. Beauvois, R. -V. Joule & J. -M. Monteil (eds), Perspectives cognitives et conduites sociales, 2, Représentations et processus socio-cognitifs, Cousset, Delval. • Guimelli, C. (1994) (ed.). Structures et transformations des représentations sociales, Neuchâtel, Delachaux et Niestlé. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  31. References (4) • Guimelli, C., Rouquette, M.-L. (1992). Contribution du modèle associatif des schèmes cognitifs de base à l’analyse structurale des représentations sociales, Bulletin de Psychologie, n° Spécial « Nouvelles voies en psychologie sociale », XIV, 405, 196-202 • Guttman, L. (1944). A basis for scaling qualitative data, American Sociological Review, 9, 139-150. • Guttman, L. (1950). The basis for scaloram analysis, in S. A. Stouffer, L. Guttman, E. A. Suchman, P. F. Lazarsfeld, S. A. Star & J. A. Clausen, Measurement and prediction : Studies in social psychology in World War II, vol. 4, Princeton, Princeton University Press, p. 60-90. • Guttman, L. (1968). A general nonmetric technique for finding the smallest co-ordinate space for a configuration, Psychometrika, 33, 469-506. • Guttman, L. (1977). What is not what in statistics, The Statistician, 26, 81-107. • Guttman, L. (1982). Facet theory, smallest space analysis and factor analysis, Perceptual and Motor Skills, 454, 491-493. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  32. References (5) • Guttman, L. (1994). Louis Guttman on theory and methodology: selected writings, edited by Shlomit Levy, Aldershot, Hants, England, Dartmouth Publishing Company. • Haas, V. & Jodelet, D. (1999). Pensée et mémoire sociales, in J. -P. Pétard (ed.), Psychologie sociale, Paris, Editions Bréal, p. 111-160. • Jodelet, D. (1989). Folies et représentations sociales, Paris, PUF. • Jodelet, D. (2003). Aperçus sur les méthodologies qualitatives, in S. Moscovici & F. Buschini (eds), Les méthodes des sciences humaines, Paris, PUF, p. 139-162. • Laurens, S. & Roussiau, N. (eds) (2002). La mémoire sociale. Identités et représentations sociales. Rennes, Presses Universitaires de Rennes. • Lorenzi-Cioldi, F. (2002). Les représentations des groupes dominants et dominés. Collections et agrégats. Grenoble, PUG. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

  33. References (6) • Lorenzi-Cioldi, F. & Buschini, F. (2002). Carrière au masculin et carrières au féminin, 6th International Conference on Social Representations “Thinking Societies: Common Sense and Communication”, University of Stirling, Scotland, 27th August - 1st September 2002. • Moliner, P. (1994). Les deux dimensions des représentations sociales, Revue Internationale de Psychologie Sociale, 7, 2, 73-86. • Moliner, P. (1995). A two-dimensional model of social representations, European Journal of Social Psychology, 25, 1, 27-40. • Moscovici, S. (1961). La psychanalyse, son image et son public. Paris, P.U.F. (nouvelle édition, entièrement refondue, P.U.F., 1976). • Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries, in M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 25, New York, Academic Press, 1-65. 11th Int. Summer School - Euro PhD on SRC - Roma 2-10 July 2005

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