Q factor analysis is found appropriate for use in clinical or educational situations where available typologies or scales seem inadequate, where the psychological dynamics of learning or treatment are not well understood, or where it is desirable to avoid anticipating the precise direction and character of program impact. (Author/BJG)

After a brief description of third force coalitions and their goals, this research attempts to determine what areas of consensus unite such groups and what issues or opinions can potentially divide them. A Q factor analysis is employed to establish a methodology for identifying language that has appeal to various opinion groups. Respondents in…

Suggests that political behavior instructors develop Q instruments because the atmosphere of experimentation, focus on self analysis and comparisons with peers, sense of group effort to extract meaning from Q-sort results, and intensity of debate produces rapid learning of major concepts usually presented in lectures. (Author/ND)