A new approach to the identification of cognitive conflicts in the repertory grid: A nomothetic study

Two separate but related investigations are reported. In the first, a score was derived from a construct correlation matrix obtained by grid data processing. This score, the Correlation Test (CT) score, expresses the percentage of unbalanced triads in the construct correlation matrix and is considered to assess logical inconsistency. It is discussed as being qualitatively different from other scores derived from construct correlation matrices, such as cognitive complexity scores. It is suggested that the CT score refers to cognitive integration, whereas other scores usually refer to cognitive differentiation. The second investigation was an attempt to trace the clinical implications of the CT score. An investigation of 141 inpatients undergoing psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy revealed that those with a large number of inconsistencies in their construct system presented more severe psychological disturbances and were less able to cope alone with conflictual situations than were persons who displayed fewer logical inconsistencies.