Multidimensional Scale Analysis of Elementary Teachers' Impressions of Selected Social Reinforcers

Abstract

A recently proposed multidimensional similarity analysis methodology was used to analyze the dimensionality of a set of selected classroom social reinforcers. Judges were elementary school teachers who frequently administered such reinforcers. The three extracted evaluation dimensions, accounting for 81% of the judgmental variance, were all readily interpretable. The success of this exploratory application of a multidimensional scaling procedure in the realm of educational concerns suggested further uses for such investigative methodologies with regard to other forms of educational judgment-evaluation.