An anchor topic is one that deals with the aspects of primary interest about the the working topics, such as attitudes, identification, or specific qualities.

The two anchor topics generally always used are "Myself, as I really am" (providing a baseline for identification) and "The image I like better (prefer)" (providing a baseline for attitude). Additional anchor topics may be chosen based on the context, and the types of information sought.

The PD can provide a measure of respondents' unconscious attitudes to the topics being assessed by using the anchor topic "Prefer."

Comparing one's image choices for "Prefer" to his or her choices for any other topic, we obtain a Same Choice Score (SCS) between "Prefer" and that other topic. Therefore, in this case as the similarity is between what one prefers and another topic, the SCS is an indication of one's unconscious attitude towards that topic.

Some of the PD data is amenable to a visual/spacial representation. The CAMaps are used to show the relative positions of the working topics and the PD images within a 2D or 3D space. This can be a particularly useful way to present the base PD data as it allows for an easily understandable overview of the relationships among the topics and/or among groups of respondents.

In the example below, the letters without parentheses represent the topics assessed in a PD session plotted in a 2D "space" providing a visual sense of how the responses related to one another (the letters with parentheses represent the relative conceptual "space" where the abstract images themselves are found). As is clearly evident, the participating managers, a VP, and the President did not see eye-to-eye on these topics!

The level of commitment felt by people towards a working topic can be measured by looking at the Attitude and Identification scores for the topic. For example, a highly positive attitude with a strong level of identification will generally translate into a high level of commitment.

The Consensus Score is an indication of the degree of similarity of PD responses made by a group. The higher the incidence of same choices made on each topic, the higher the consensus within the group regarding their implicit understanding or perceptions of the topic. Therefore, the Consensus Score is also often referred to as a measure of Shared Vision.

Some of the PD data is amenable to a visual/spacial representation. The Correspondence Analysis Mapping (CAMaps) is done to show the relative positions of the working topics and the PD images within a 2D or 3D space. This can be a particularly useful way to present the base PD data as it allows for an easily understandable overview of the relationships among the topics and/or among groups of respondents.

The Epitomizing Picture for a topic is the picture that was chosen most frequently (i.e., chosen at the highest rate as a percentage of the total number of times it was presented).

The epitomizing picture is very significant, as it is the image that is "somehow most like" the topic being assessed according to the implicit perceptions of those doing the assessment. Exploring the qualitative aspects of the epitomizing picture sheds light on the unconscious, symbolic perceptions people have of the topic and can be used to draw out a deeper understanding of the meaning and relevance of the topic

Epitomizing pictures are also very useful when comparing responses across groups of people: strongly epitomizing pictures that differ between groups indicate that the groups perceive and understand the topic in question quite differently, which may result in working against one another without really realizing it.

The PD can provide a measure of the respondents' level of unconscious identification with the topics being assessed by using the anchor topic "Myself." Another way of thinking about identification is the concept of involvement; how personally identified or involved with the topics the respondents are can be determined.

Comparing one's image choices for "Myself" to his or her choices for any other topic, we obtain a Same Choice Score (SCS) between "Myself" and that other topic. Therefore, in this case as the similarity is between how one perceives oneself and another topic, the SCS is an indication of one's unconscious identification with that topic.

Present, but not expressed.

The attitudes, understanding and perceptions uncovered by the PD are considered implicit in that they are present and exerting influence on behavior, but are not expressed directly. Implicit attitudes can sometimes be made visible through extensive observation of behavior, or more quickly and directly through the PD.

By comparing R-Mode (right-brain processed) data collected through the PD with L-Mode (left-brain processed) data provides a measure of the disconnect between what people are willing or able to express verbally about a topic and how they feel about it at a deeper level. This measure of the difference is known as INcongruence.

A high degree of INcongruence may be an indication of any of several things:

• political/cultural pressure within the organization to present a particular image that is different than the deeper reality
• individual desire to present a particular image that is different than the deeper reality
• denial - people may think they feel a certain way about a topic that is not a true representation of what they feel at a deeper level
• lack of awareness - people may truly believe things are different than they are

Intuition has been referred to as:

• sixth sense
• hunch
• gut feel
• deep knowing
• inkling
• instinct
• right-brained
• insight

However you refer to it, intuition is invariably experienced as a sense of knowing something without having consciously gone through the left-brain processes of reasoned analysis and judgment. It seems to come from a deeper level of awareness that is not usually available to our conscious minds.

Because the PD taps into a deeper level of awareness, it uncovers the attitudes and perceptions that may give rise to intuitive understanding and insight.

Below the surface of conscious awareness. Existing in potential, but not yet made manifest, and therefore remaining hidden.

The attitudes, understanding and perceptions uncovered by the PD are considered latent in that they are present and exerting influence on behavior, but are not expressed directly. Latent attitudes will may eventually become conscious, and may be discernible through extensive observation of behavior. The PD provides a way to uncover such attitudes and perceptions before they have become outwardly expressed.

The right- and left-hemispheres of our brains process information differently, and tend to be responsible for different functions.

Generally, the right-brain can be thought of as visual, processing information in an intuitive and simultaneous way, looking first at the whole picture then the details. The left-brain, on the other hand, can be thought of as verbal, processing information in an analytical and sequential way, starting wtih the parts & then putting them together to get the whole.

Although they do work generally work together, the right- and left-hemispheres of our brains process information differently, and tend to be responsible for different functions.

Generally, the left brain can be thought of as verbal, processing information in an analytical and sequential way, starting wtih the parts & then putting them together to get the whole.

Words often associated with left-brain processing include:

• logic
• analysis (measuring/weighing)
• verbal expression
• judgment
• planning
• details

While the PD taps into the right-brain processes, collecting left-brain processed (verbal, rational, evaluated) information about the same topics provides a basis for comparison that leads to a measure of the degree of disconnect (see INcongruence) between what people are aware of and/or are willing and able to verbally express, and what they feel or perceive at a deeper level.

See also, lateralization of brain function. 

Although they work together, the right- and left-hemispheres of our brains process information differently, and tend to be responsible for different functions.

Generally, the right-brain can be thought of as visual, processing information in an intuitive and simultaneous way, looking first at the whole picture then the details.

Words often associated with right-brain functions include:

• intuition
• creativity
• patterns
• visual/spacial awareness
• symbolism
• metaphor
• a-logical decisions
• emotion
• big picture
• perception

By employing abstract images, presented too quickly to allow for reasoned, logical analysis, the PD taps into the right-brain processes more directly than is usually possible. We call the PD results R-Mode data or information as opposed to L-Mode data (obtained through left-brain processes).

See also lateralization of brain function.

Same Choice Score - a percentage value to indicate what percentage of the choices made on two separate topics were the same. An SCS greater than 50% indicates that the topics were perceived as being similar. An SCS less than 50% indicates that the topics were perceived as being dissimilar. The further an SCS is from 50%, the stronger the perception of similarity or dissimilarity.

Same Choice Scores for working topics compared with anchor topics "prefer" and "myself" provide measures of attitude and identification with the working topics.

The SCSs of carefully chosen working topics can provide information such as:

• hopefulness/optimism (e.g., working topics: "the organization as it is" and "the organization, the best it could be")
• the "best" choice (e.g., working topics: "Plan A" and "Plan B" and "An Ideal Plan")
• organization culture health (e.g., working topics: "the organization as it is" and "the employees" and "management")

Same Choice Score - a percentage value to indicate what percentage of the choices made on two separate topics were the same. An SCS greater than 50% indicates that the topics were perceived as being similar. An SCS less than 50% indicates that the topics were perceived as being dissimilar. The further an SCS is from 50%, the stronger the perception of similarity or dissimilarity.

Same Choice Scores for working topics compared with anchor topics "prefer" and "myself" provide measures of attitude and identification with the working topics.

The SCSs of carefully chosen working topics can provide information such as:

• hopefulness/optimism (e.g., working topics: "the organization as it is" and "the organization, the best it could be")
• the "best" choice (e.g., working topics: "Plan A" and "Plan B" and "An Ideal Plan")
• organization culture health (e.g., working topics: "the organization as it is" and "the employees" and "management")

A Semantic Differential (SD) is a general purpose verbal assessment tool.

In an SD, one evaluates the working and anchor topics along a scale between pairs of words and their opposites.

Shared Vision is a measure of the degree to which the respondents perceive the topics in the same way at the deep level uncovered by the PD. Shared Vision is also known as Consensus.

While the Epitomizing Picture provides a visual/symbolic representation of how people perceive a topic at a group level, the degree of shared vision, or consensus, provides a sense how consistent this perception is among the respondents. Thus, a high degree of shared vision indicates that the topic is understood similarly by most everyone, while a low degree of shared vision suggests that there are significant differences in how people perceive the topic.

When otherwise good, talented people with a high level of commitment are unable to get it together and all paddle in the same direction, a lack of shared vision may be major factor. Even if they tend to agree in their verbal expressions of how they understand the plan, or their goals, at a deeper level there may be significant differences in how they perceive the situation. The PD can help uncover those differences by tapping into those deeper levels.

The abstract images used in the Projective Differential are grouped into different sets, called stimulus sets.

JOG Stimulus sets (J10 or J30):

There are four versions of the J10, each of which is composed of 10 pairings that consist of all possible pairings of five abstract images. The pairs are sequenced such that no picture appears in successive pairings and each picture appears an equal number of times in left hand and in right hand positions. The four versions are:

• Classic - The first of the current JOG sets to be developed, the Classic J10 is also the most used. It is rich in terms of generating a variety of associations to epitomizing (and antithetical) pictures, and is good at producing valid quantitative scores.
• Evaluative - The Evaluative J10 set consists of the pictures that most clearly distinguish between connotative opposites such as "good vs. bad," "strong vs. weak," etc. thus making possible the calculation of the most valid quantitative scores among all the JOG sets.
• Evocative - The Evocative J10 set was chosen on the basis of its ability to tap into evocative connotative space, i.e., in research the images proved to be rich in terms of the responses to "what do the images make you think of?" and "how do they make you feel?", while also doing a very good job of producing quantitative connotative scores.
• Open-Source - The newest version of the JOG. This set was recently developed in order to provide a freely available, online version for individual use as a "head-gut check." It has not undergone the research and testing of the earlier versions, and as such less is known about its particular strengths in comparison with the other versions.

The J30 is actually a combination of the Classic, Evaluative, and Evocative J10s. It has the strengths of each of the J10s, but lacks the ability to determine a single epitomizing picture for topics, instead providing three. The J30 should be used when reliable individual level results are needed for comparisons through time or versus results from within a larger group.

JOGs (as opposed to the Research set) must be used in situations when epitomizing picture scores or picture names are desired for a full utilization and appreciation of the PD choice results. Also, JOGs must be used in situations requiring certain further activities (i.e., Ice Breaker, Associations, Finder, Whole Brain Decision-making and Head/Gut Check).

RESEARCH (R12) Stimulus set:

The R12 set consists of 12 unique pairings of 24 PD pictures. Each picture only appears once in a single topic's administration. R12 can be used when same choice scores, INcongruence and/or verbal interpretations along fifty prescored connotative dimensions are sufficient. This stimulus set is probably the most comprehensive for touching the multi-faceted nuances and extremities of PD accessible "connotative space". On the other hand, it does not permit epitomizing picture scoring and related activities, and is therefore too limited for many consulting purposes.

Working topics are the topics about which you are wanting to gather information regarding people's unconscious attitudes, perceptions and understanding.

Commonly used working topics include:

• the organization as it is
• the organization, the best it could be
• the employees
• management
• the organizational culture
• Plan A/Plan B/etc. (when evaluating specific plans or options for action)