The Use of Multidimensional Scaling in the Cognitive Mapping of Cultural Difference Judgments

Multidimensional scaling (MDS) is described as a useful technique for investigating school psychology research questions. A study is described that illustrates the application of nonmetric weighted MDS methods in constructing cognitive maps of subjects' cultural difference judgments among 11 fictitious portraits of 10-year-old male children. The portraits varied according to selected racial (ethnic), social class, language, and place of residence characteristics. An available sample of school psychology graduate students and practitioners (N = 26) and a larger comparison sample consisting primarily of college-age students (N = 264) participated as subjects in the study. Three dimensions were extracted from the MDS: High versus Low SES (Dimension 1); Domestic versus Foreign Residence (Dimension 2), and Hispanic/Caucasian versus Black Racial Group (Dimension 3). The contribution of each of the three dimensions to the total variance in the school psychology sample's data was 50%, 14%, and 3%, respectively. Implications of the findings for a theory of cultural difference perceptions is discussed, and potential applications of MDS to school psychology research are briefly described.