Conceptualizing respect: Using prototype methodology to bridge the gap between qualitative and quantitative data
by
Susan Langdon
University of Southern Maine, St. Joseph's College
Coauthors: Nicole Jurdak, University of Southern Maine

The under-representation of respect in the empirical literature is due in part to challenges in measurement of this ?fuzzy? concept. One solution that has been used for these types of concepts is prototype methodology. Prototype methodology uses qualitative and quantitative assessments to identify central features (prototypes) of a concept. The current study sought to move beyond an ideal vision of respect and towards an understanding of how it is actually conceptualized. Participants, recruited from psychology courses, completed surveys assessing definitions and experiences of respect (n=217). They were asked to list features of respect and to rate each feature's importance to their conception of respect. In line with prototype methodology, coding categories were created by grouping similar features together. A coding system of 14 categories was generated from the 914 responses. The frequency of responses and mean importance ratings were calculated for each category. Results indicated that the two most frequent categories were descriptions of personal attributes, followed by behavioral indices, attitudes, and social dynamics. Importance ratings were high in general with high variability and only moderately correlated with frequency (r=.49). Ranking of the importance ratings revealed a shift from the frequency rankings. This study reveals the value in prototype methodology in quantifying qualitative data. The prototypes of respect from this study parallel other research and provide grounds for further quantitative research such as instrument development.

Date received: September 8, 2003