A typical Projective Differential administration has three essential components and two optional components.

The essential components are:

• a PD stimuls set
• PD topics
• PD choices

The optional components are:

• picture naming
• L-Mode ratings

Essential Components of PD Administration

PD Stimulus Set

There are several different sets of images available for use in PD administrations, and two basic kinds of sets–there are several JOG sets and one RESEARCH set. The set chosen for any given administration depends upon the context, as each set has different particular strengths.

JOG Stimulus sets (J10 or J30):

There are four versions of the J10, each of which is composed of 5 abstract images . 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 24 PD pictures. 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.

PD Topics:

Topics are the focus of attention when participants are making PD choices and are denoted by a word or short phrase and may refer to objects, entities, qualities, actions, concepts, etc. The careful selections of Topics comprises a major aspect of designing any PD application.

There are two kinds of topic, "working" and "anchor". Working topics deal with the issue at hand (e.g., a company, product, person, decision), and anchor topics deal with the aspects of primary interest (e.g., attitudes, identification, qualities).

Working topics are carefully chosen to elicit the information that is being sought, and it is not uncommon to go through multiple sessions, gradually refining the topics as information is gathered.

Since the PD task requires focused attention on several things at once: (i.e., a topic, the presented PD picture pairing and one's recording of the internal response), we have found that there is a maximum limit of about 200 choices for any given administration. For a J10, this would be 20 topics (we actually rarely go beyond 8-10), while for a J30, this has been about 5-7 topics). Doing more topics risks a falling off of attention and concentration among at least some participants, thus tending to invalidate the PD choices on the later topics.