Dispersed and Undispersed Dependency |
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| Authors: | Beverly M. Walker Fred L. Ramsey Richard C. Bell |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Psychology , University of Wollongong , Wollongong, New South Wales, 2500, Australia;2. Department of Statistics , Oregon State University , Corvallis, Oregon, 97331;3. Department of Psychology , University of Melbourne , Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Abstract This study was aimed at developing a measure of Kelly's concept of dispersion of dependency and providing evidence for its usefulness in differentiating degree of dispersion of dependency. Smith and Grassle's (1977) adaptation of Hurlbert's diversity index, a measure used by biologists to differentiate degrees of species diversity, was applied to dependency grids, specifically “being helped” grids. The diversity index was shown to be both useful in differentiating prototypes of relatively dispersed and undispersed grids and robust. Furthermore, evidence was provided for its predictive validity using predictions made by Kelly concerning dependency construing associated with differences in dispersion of dependency. Greater dispersion of dependency was related to making more discriminations about dependencies, and undispersed dependency was related to relatively impermeable and preemptive construing. Thus the measure was shown to be satisfactory for identifying dispersion of dependency, such that, used in this context, it could be aptly renamed the dispersion of dependency index. |
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