An Exploratory Direct-Estimation Approach to Location of Observers in Percept Space

Abstract

A least squares technique for estimating the loadings that additional/new variables might receive on factors derived in an analysis of a different set of variables was adopted for use with a recently proposed methodological revision of Ekman's “content” model of multidimensional similarity analysis. An experiment was then conducted in which psychologist-judges directly estimated the degree of perceived similarity between their particular viewpoints with respect to “personality” and 15 well-known personality theories. The procedure was used to locate the psychologists in the four-dimensional space previously constructed to account for the rated similarities among the same theories.