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Black and White or Shades of Grey? Comparing Social Representations Centrality Models

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2013

Joao Wachelke
Joao Wachelke*
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (Brazil)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Joao Wachelke. Instituto de Psicologia da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Campus Umuarama, Bloco 2C–Sl. 19. Av. Pará 1720, Uberlândia - MG (Brazil). CEP 38400-902. Phone: +55-3432182822. E-mail: wachelke@yahoo.com
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Abstract

The present study, aligned with the structural approach on social representations (SR), aimed at comparing dichotomous (central vs. peripheral) and continuous models of structural status of SR elements. The sample was formed by 114 undergraduate students who completed context independence tasks and resistance to change evaluations related to 30 elements from 3 SR objects. Non-nested regression models having resistance to change as the criterion variable and dichotomous and continuous operationalizations of symbolic value as predictors were compared. Statistical results complemented by follow-up t-tests challenge the dichotomous model and support a continuous quadratic one. The curve is interpreted as being related to different evaluations when elements are attributed to a majority or a minority and point out to the need to employ within subjects designs in future research assessing more properties with composite measures.

Keywords

social representationsstructural approachcentral core theorycalling into questionsocial thinking
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E33
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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Footnotes

The author held a scholarship from Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovigo and carried out the research while he was a doctoral student at the University of Padua (Italy).
Manuscript based in research presented at the X National Congress of the Social Psychology section of the Italian Psychology Association-2010, and winner of the “Best study presented in a poster by a young researcher” award.

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