q-methodology as a research method -...
TRANSCRIPT
Q-methodology as a research method
Presentation for
Tshwane University of Technology
14th August, 2015
Lynda Andrews
Queensland University of Technology,
Brisbane, Australia
Who invented Q-method?
Innovated by William Stephenson The study of human behaviour: Q-techniques and its methodology (1953)
• Seeking a systematic research method that looks at unraveling complex subjectivities by making them accessible and rigorously examinable through statistical techniques
(Barry and Proops 2000; Brown, 1980).
1902 - 1989
What is Q-method?
• A rigorous research methodology that explores diverse positions that pervade discourses on social and economic issues in contemporary life (Brown, Durning and Selden, 1999).
• Origins in psychology, widely used in social/ political sciences – and other disciplines progressively.
Has a number of steps
Discovering the discourse of interest
Need to locate a suitable body of material that represents the
discourse of interest. Can use all sorts of data:
Photographs
Board minutes or other documents
Press releases, reports in the newspaper
Blogs / Facebook posts / Twitter comments
Interviews
Examples
Consumer behaviour
Fifteen phenomenological interviews - to ground study in the
discourse of people’s everyday experiential consumption
practices with owning and using a mobile phone.
Tourism
38 attributes from literature related to short stay holidays.
Use of theoretical or guiding frameworks Can use a guiding framework when developing interview
format - useful so that you can focus your questions
around areas of interest in the literature (academic) or
other discourse literature.
Consumer Behaviour example
Theory of Consumption Value (Sheth et al., 1991)
A typology of different types of value in consumer choice
situations, such as to use or not use a product
Four Metaphors of Consumption (Holt, 1995)
A typology to explore how individuals experience the
consumption of a product or service.
Environment
(natural/built)
Activities
(indoors/outdoors)
Value
Perceptions
1. Nature
6. Scenic
9. Beach
21. National park
22. River
39. Rural
40. Marine life
15. Swimming
18. Shopping
19. Walking/tramping
23. Fishing
24. Adventure activities
27. Surfing
28. Wineries
29. Nightlife
30. Boating
31. Four wheel driving
33. Golf
34. Water sports
36. Sports activities
2. Good value for money
4. Good accommodation
5. Good weather
8. Good service
13. Good cafes/restaurants
14. Lots to do
Emotive Social Value Tourism descriptors
3. Safe
11. Relaxing
20. Romantic
10. Uncrowded
12. Friendly locals
16. Not touristy
25. Family destination
32. Friends and relatives there
7. Within a comfortable drive
(from Brisbane)
17. Packages
26. North of Brisbane
35. Infrastructure
37. Local culture
38. Historic
Tourism example
Identifying materials
for next stage (Q-sort)
Identification of statements representing values and
metaphors frameworks from transcripts (representing
diversity within the guiding frameworks used.)
• CB study - 70 statements extracted in total – Reduction
strategy through inter-rater reliabilities. Reduced to 50
statements.
Around 50 statements or pieces of material (e.g.
photographs) is considered sufficient.
Preparing for the Q-Sort stage
Materials are numbered ready for Q-sort. In examples…. • Statements written out on to separate cards and
numbered • Short break attributes written on cards and numbered. Prepare sorting instructions Prepare Q-sort score card (for data collection)
EXAMPLE scorecard for 16 statements
Suggested measures for Scorecard
(1 strongly disagree – 7 strongly agree)
(1 = not like me at all………..7 very much like me)
but would code into Q-method as -3 to +3
Note – you can make the scale -4 to +4 or -5 to +5 if you wish
to get a flatter distribution of the statements.
Numbers in brackets will indicate the number of statements
that can be placed under each scale point
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
(*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*) (*)
Preparing the Q-Sort stage
New sample recruited. (Ideally should be different from sample who did interviews or pilot study sample).
Will need between 30 – 40 participants Instruction for Q-sort prepared. Q-sort often done in a face to face situation – so
instructions are verbal. CB example done more remotely (self administered). Research pack contained • Clearly written instructions • Set of statement cards • Scorecard • Informed consent and demographics form • S.A.E. for return of data.
Doing the Q-Sort
Participants are asked to sort the cards into 3 basic piles in terms of: • Those they sort of agree with • Those they have no opinion on • Those they sort of disagree with
As the Q sort score card is a forced choice instrument – participants
now have to decide …. • Which statements they will put in the forced choices .. That is -
which ones do they most agree with (or are most like them / least agree with (least like them)
• Which ones will they put at the 0 point (no opinion – or any left over statements after doing the forced choices on +3 or – 3 sides.
Then they write each statement number under the relevant
measurement (e.g. Statement No. 1 under +3) until scorecard is completely filled in.
Example of a completed
Scorecard for Q sort ready for analysis
-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
(1) (2) (3) (4) (3) (2) (1)
Fill in your statement numbers in squares provided
13 4 5 3 2 8 1
15 14 11 6 10
16 12 7
9
Numbers in red represent
statement or card numbers
Data analysis stage
PQMethod statistical analysis package (free from
Q-method website).
Set up project – and type in all of the statements
with their numbers.
Data on scorecards keyed into the project
Two step analysis:
1. Q-method Principal Components analysis done
with Varimax rotation – to find clusters.
2. Factor arrays for each cluster presented.
Data analysis stage
Q - Principal Components analysis done with
Varimax rotation – to find clusters.
• Note – you are clustering individuals’ based on
their rating of the statements ….. (Q factor
analysis)
• Not clustering items – based on how
individuals rate them (R-factor analysis)
Example of
Q - Principal Components analysis
METAPHORS Q sort
Appendix 3: Factor Analyses for Q Sorts
ID A B C
001 .70* .10 .16
002 .51 .60* -.15
003 .65* .27 .25
004 .66* -.01 .30
005 .73* -.01 .11
Appendix 3: Factor Analyses for Q Sorts
Cases 14 9 8
% Var. 20% 14% 15%
49% of variance explained
ID is the individual who
completed the scorecard.
The number with an * is a
significant “component” under
the relevant cluster for that
individual.
ID 001 is located in Cluster A
ID 002 is located in Cluster B
Data analysis stage 2
Once Q factor analysis has been checked for
suitable number of clusters …..
• Request factor arrays
These represent the clusters shown in the factor
analysis – and the statements around which
they cluster. (e.g. clusters of shared opinions.)
Example of a factor array for a cluster
identified in the CB example
No. Statements B
3 I want the communication capabilities … it’s important nowadays to have the mobile
communication capability.
3
9 My mobile phone makes me feel safer … it makes me feel good that I can contact
people when I need to.
2
4 I like to be always contactable by friends or to be able to contact others when I want to. 2
50 I think there are times when it is appropriate to have your mobile phone off, such as in
meetings or in certain social situations, like restaurants.
3
38 I just use my mobile phone for phone calls … that’s all ... it’s a functional tool. -3
37 I use the MSN messenger style writing when I text my friends … and the smiley face/sad
face things.
2
40 In addition to calls and SMS, I use the alarm clock and the diary function for
appointments and things I have to do.
3
13 Mobile phones are a necessary evil nowadays. -3
16 My mobile phone is like a burden to me. -3
12 It’s like my baby, I take my mobile phone everywhere. 2
Table 3: Metaphor factor arrays for the Mobile Revelers
No. A B C D
Distinguishing list of destination image attributes
3 Safe 2 -1 0 -1
14 Lots to do 2 3 -3 2
9 Beach 1 4 4 4
35 Infrastructure 1 -4 0 -1
23 Fishing -4 -1 -2 4
30 Boating -3 1 0 0
Most important destination image attributes
13 Good cafes/restaurants 4 3 1 2
11 Relaxing 4 -2 3 0
7 Within a comfortable drive 3 -3 0 0
4 Good accommodation 3 -3 2 3
2 Good value for money 3 1 1 2
Least important destination image attributes
33 Golf -4 -4 -4 3
27 Surfing -3 1 -1 0
31 Four wheel driving -3 0 -4 -4
In this example the
factor array is
developed in a
more expanded
way following
Watts and Stenner
(2012) text
Cluster A results
Final stage of your Q study
naming and describing the cluster
As with any qualitative methodology – when you write up
findings you need to tell a good story.
In write up you need to describe your clusters in a
meaningful way (so need good names too) - so that you can
progress to the discussion section as well as the
implications for theory and practice.
This is the fun part … but may need several iterations.
Example from CB mobile phone Q-study
The Revelers
For the Revelers the experiential value of their mobile phones is not necessarily
for functional reasons, as demonstrated by statement 38 (-3) indicating that
they strongly disagree that it is a functional tool. This is further re-enforced by
statement 37 (+2) suggesting familiarity with the interactive aspects of SMS
texting and statement 40 (+3) showing they use additional functions on their
mobiles, such as the alarm clock or diary.
Revelers really like their phones and perceive experiential value through their
emotional attachment, shown in their agreement with statements on the
subjective expressions in the Consuming as Experience metaphor. They do not
perceive their phones as a necessary evil or as a burden (statements No. 13 and
16, both rated -3) and regard their phone in a very personal way, ‘like a baby’
that is taken everywhere (statement 12, +2).
Comments about their attributes in the post sort interviews show evidence of how these
destination image attributes interlink to create an overall picture in the participants' minds
about going on a self drive short break. For example, Good cafes/restaurants are associated
with relaxing as is good accommodation, as the following quotes highlight:
".... that's what I find relaxing, going out for dinner ..."
“I hate being uncomfortable ... as I do go on this sort of thing to relax";
".... you need good accommodation if you want to relax";
"... accommodation has to be minimal standard for me to relax."
The links between Good accommodation and value for money are highlighted as follows:
"accommodation doesn't have to be 5 star [to be good or good value]"; ".... it must be at least
3 star accommodation otherwise it's not worth it....";
"[on a short break]... you don't want to spend more than you would on a weekend anyway."
What do participants indicate as being a comfortable drive:
"... about 3.5 hours is a comfortable drive...";
"2 hours so you are not tired when you get there."
Tourism example
Using comments collected after Q-sort activity in write up
Things to consider with a Q-study
Ensuring discourse material is relevant for participants to work with. (statements and relevant measurement scale)
Cognitive demand on participants.
• Lack of examiner/reviewer knowledge of method
• Queries on sample size
• Belief it is a qualitative methodology only
My references and guides for Q-methodology
Newest reference book: Watts and Stenner, (2012) Doing Q Methodological
Research: Theory, Method and Interpretation. Sage
Brown, S.R. (1980), Political Subjectivity: Applications of Q Methodology
in Political Science, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Barry, J. and Proops, J. (2000), Citizenship, Sustainability and
Environmental Research: Q Methodology and Local Exchange Trading
Systems, Edward Elgar, United Kingdom.
McKeown, B. and Thomas, D. (1988), Q Methodology, Sage Publications,
Newbury Park.
Watts, S. and Stenner, P. (2005), “Doing Q methodology: Theory, method
and interpretation”, Qualitative Research in Psychology, Vol. 2, pp. 67-91.
What questions do you have?
Andrews, Lynda, Drennan, Judy,
Russell-Bennett, Rebekah (2012).
‘Linking perceived value of mobile
marketing with the experiential
consumption of mobile phones’.
European Journal of Marketing,
Vol. 46, No. 3/4, pp. 357 - 386.