Synonym
Definition
Q-Sort technique (QST) is defined as “a modified rank-ordering procedure in which stimuli are placed in an order that is significant from the standpoint of a person operating under specified conditions” (Brown 1980, p. 195).
Introduction
Originally developed by physicist-psychologist William Stephenson in the 1930s, QST is the instrumental basis of Q methodology by which the researchers can systematically study “subjectivity” (e.g., a person’s feelings, opinions, perspectives, or preferences) (Brown 1980, 1993, 1996; Stephenson 1953).
With QST, the subjects are assigned the task of sorting (or evaluating) a number of statements by placing a specific number of statements in a predetermined distribution pattern (e.g., a normal distribution) along a spectrum of ranking categories (e.g., “most agreeable” to “most disagreeable”). Then, through correlation and factor analysis on the participants rather than on the variables, the perspectives of the participants can be...
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References
Brown, S. R. (1980). Political subjectivity: Applications of Q methodology in political science. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Brown, S. R. (1993). A primer on Q methodology. Operant Subjectivity, 16(3/4), 91–138.
Brown, S. R. (1996). Q methodology and qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 6(4), 561–567.
Brown, S. R. (2008). Q methodology. In L. M. Given (Ed.), The Sage encyclopedia of qualitative research methods (pp. 700–704). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Brown, S. R., & Ungs, T. D. (1970). Representations and the study of political behaviour: An application of Q technique to reactions to the Kent State incident. Social Science Quarterly, 51, 514–526.
Durning, D. W., & Brown, S. R. (2007). Q methodology and decision making. In G. Morçôl (Ed.), Handbook of decision making (pp. 537–563). New York: CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group).
Kim, Y.-S. (2015). Perception of happiness among health-related university students: Q methodological approach. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 8(S1), 161–168. doi:10.17485/ijst/2015/v8iS1/60522.
Stainton Rogers, R. (1995). Q methodology. In J. A. Smith, R. Harré, & L. Van Langenhove (Eds.), Rethinking methods in psychology. London: Sage.
Stephenson, W. (1953). The study of behavior: Q-technique and its methodology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Watts, S., & Stenner, P. (2012). Doing Q methodology: Theory, method and interpretation. London: Sage.
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HE, J., HU, B.Y., FAN, X. (2017). Q-Sort Technique. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_66-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_66-1
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