Mapping Response Repertoires

In his triangular model, Moscovici (1970, 1984) maintained that subjects do not have direct relations with the Object; rather, they have repertoires consisting of others’ responses, and these responses mediate the subject's relation with the Object. The present study examines response repertoires. We asked 114 participants to cite significant others and describe these others’ opinions about electromagnetic radiation, to indicate their own response on this issue, and to situate this response vis-à-vis the responses of the significant others described. Our results show that, even if some participants had restricted repertoires consisting of similar and rare responses, more than three-quarters of the participants had extended repertoires consisting of varied, shared, and consistent responses.