Q methodology

Q methodology (also Q sort technique) combines qualitative and quantitative elements to assess subjective views, attitudes and experiences relating to a topic of study.

Description

With this technique, individuals are typically asked to sort or categorize a continuum of about 10 to 100 statements according to the extent of their agreement or disagreement with each one. However, single words, photographs or other items can also be used in the Q sort process in lieu of statements and a different continuum of sorting categorizations can be used in lieu of agreement versus disagreement. In contrast to survey methodologies in which subjects are free to agree or disagree with any or all statements, in the Q sort methodology subjects are forced to categorize a certain number of statements into each possible grouping (e.g., strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree). Factor analytic techniques are then applied to identify patterns and themes of subjective views, attitudes or experiences across study subjects.

A web-based demonstration of the Q sort procedure [1] and a detailed set of videos on use of the Q methodology [2] are available.

History

The Q methodology was first described in 1935 by William Stephenson, a physicist and psychologist, who provided further descriptions of the technique in his 1953 book The Study of Behavior: Q-Technique and its Methodology. The initial example that Stephenson gave for the use of the Q sort technique involved the sorting of 60 cards of different colors according to the subjects’ degree of liking each color. Due to misunderstandings that were perpetuated by key figures in the field about the relationship between the Q methodology and more traditional (R) factor analysis, the Q methodology gained limited attention for several decades. However, beginning in the 1990s, there has been a growing use of Q methodology across a wide range of social, psychological, economic, educational and other disciplines.

Principal Use

Research on subjective attitudes and opinions

Advantages

• Flexible in testing a wide variety of attitudes over an equally wide variety of topics and stimuli (e.g., images, words, statements)

• Normal distribution of Q sorts permit subsequent application of parametric statistical methods

• Does not require random sampling of participants or large sample sizes

Shortcomings

• Constraints imposed by the Q sort process may artificially influence the apparent views of the research subject

• Study subjects must be honest in sorting items and not try to adjust responses to fit preconceived notions about the study hypotheses or the investigator’s desired outcomes

• Test-retest reliability is variable for an individual subject

• Selection of Q sort items and interpretation of results may be subject to investigator bias

Examples in Informatics

• Valenta AL, Wigger U. Q-methodology: definition and application in health care informatics. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 4(6):501-10, 1997. [3]

The authors provide an overview of Q methodology and show its application in identifying typologies of health information system adopters based on the responses of 34 physicians and 25 medical students to 30 opinion statements.

• Ao M, Walker R. CIOs' views of HIPAA Security Rule implementation--an application of Q-methodology. J Healthc Inf Manag. 19(2):73-80, 2005.

The authors used Q methodology to survey 5 chief information officers (CIOs) on 26 opinion statements about HIPAA Security Rule implementation and identified two typologies of CIO viewpoints: socially-motivated and resource-motivated CIOs.

References

1. Hackert C, Braehler G. Flash Q. Accessed on February 23, 2008 at http://www.hackert.biz/flashq/demo/
2. Q[…A Method for Modern Research. Steven R. Brown’s 1996 Q Workshop. Accessed on February 23, 2008 at http://www.qmethod.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=54&Itemid=32
3. Brown SR. The History and Principles of Q Methodology in Psychology and the Social Sciences. Accessed on February 23, 2008 at http://facstaff.uww.edu/cottlec/Qarchive/Bps.htm
4. Brown SR. Q Methodology in Assessment and Research. Accessed on February 23, 2008 at http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/~schmolck/qmethod/syllabus00.pdf
5. Cross RM. Exploring attitudes: the case for Q methodology. Health Educ Res. 20(2):206-13, 2005. Accessed on February 23, 2008 at http://her.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/20/2/206