Familiarisation Processes at the Introduction of the Euro

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3rd International Lab Meeting Summer session
2005 11th Edition of the International Summer
School of the European Ph.D. on Social
Representations and Communication Social
Representations in action and construction in
Media and Society Applying the Facet Theory and
Statistical Analysis via HUDAP software to
Research on Social Representations Theoretical
and Methodological Computer Mediated Training
Sessions at the European PhD on Social
Representations Communication Multimedia LAB
Research Center in Rome Exploring the structure
of Social Representations of the Euro via Facet
Theory approach and WSSA1 procedure. Annamaria
Silvana de Rosa, Cristina Gioiosa, Marialibera
dAmbrosio
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• Exploring the structure
• of Social Representations of the Euro
• via Facet Theory approach and WSSA1 procedure.

Annamaria Silvana de Rosa, Cristina Gioiosa,
Marialibera dAmbrosio European Ph.D. on Social
Representatins and Communication - University of
Rome La Sapienza Italy Forthcoming in W.
Bilsky, D.Elizur (Eds.), Facet Theory Design,
Analysis and Applications, Praha, Zeithamlová
Milena, ing.- Agentura Action M, Reprostredisko
UK MFF, ISBN 80-86742-09-1
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The switch to the Euro represented a special
unique mass event, a natural experiment, in
which the new coin as a symbolic medium collected
the desires, expectations, dreams as well fears,
stress and resistance of institutions,
organization and, above all, the common man.
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Theoretical Background

• The introduction process has been the object of
  numerous studies that can be grouped by principal
  themes
• studies concerning the cognitive implications of
  the process of introducing the (Legrenzi, 2001
  Lemaire Lechacheur, 2001 Mussweiler Strack,
  2004)
• studies that deal with national and European
  identity and symbolic dimensions concerning the
  new currency (Müller-Peters et al., 1998, de Rosa
  Mormino, 2002).

• In this paper we especially intend to highlight
  how it is not only possible but also desirable to
  apply the Facet Theory approach to the study of
  the psychological-economic aspects of the
  introduction of the in order to highlight the
  structure of the indicators used to analyze its
  familiarization processes.
• A better understanding of the relationships
  between indicators can aid in rational indicator
  selection. (Cohen, 2000, p. 83).

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Euro system in 2002
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Our Hypotheses

• The influence of the flowing of time and the
  subsequent growth in the use frequency of the
  (T/F), the differences between the subjects in
  terms of age (Ag) and educational level (Ed),
  determine various modalities related to the use
  (A), the knowledge of political-economic
  phenomena (B), the exposure to various
  familiarization channels (C), as well as
  attitudes towards the (D).
• Each of those aspects (A, B, C, D), in turn,
  influence familiarization with the currency
  operationalized in terms of the interviewed
  subjects' ability to recognize banknotes and
  coins (E).

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Mapping Sentence
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• Procedures and analyses (Cohen and Amar, 2002)
• MONCO the MONCO procedure provided Guttman's
  Weak Monotonicity Coefficients matrix for the
  couples of variables under analysis and used the
  Wssa1 procedure as input. Monotonicity
  Coefficients are non-linear type correlation
  coefficients that vary between 1 and 1.
• WSSA1 the Smallest Space Analysis is a
  multi-dimensional method of analysis useful for
  understanding the interrelational structures
  between variables based on the calculation of a
  distance index (Guttman's Coefficient of
  Monotonicity) then translated into spatial terms.

• In the SSA on both the geometric and conceptual
  plane it is possible to identify, beyond that of
  polarity, various types of "geometric"
  structures.
• The WSSA1 methods of analysis envisage the use of
  external variables which are projected onto the
  structure that is built, without altering it, to
  simplify the interpretation of the output, or
  simply to understand their behavior given that
  particular structure of the data.
• FACET ANALYSIS Using different colours that
  Diagram graphically visualizes the correspondence
  between the empirical distribution of the data
  concerning the variables and the definition of
  their facets in specific regions of the space.

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Period of Administration of the ToolMarch - June
2002
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Tool

• Semi-structured questionnaire and recognition
  tests

Areas

• Socio-demographic data,
• Currencys practices,
• Political/economic knowledge about the EU and
  the ,
• Familiarization agents and communication
  systems,
• Attitudes towards the and recognition of
  banknotes and coins.

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Knowledge about the Euro

• Areas investigated
• Recognition of bank notes and coins
• Recognition of the symbols present on the Euro
  bank notes and coins
• Knowledge of the cultural aspects linked with the
  Euro
• Knowledge of the security and anti-counterfeiting
  features
• Perception of the value of products in Lire or in
  Euros

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The Sample
239 Italian subjects living in Rome (XII
circoscrizione)-

• Age 18-30, 31-65, over 65
• Level of education primary school, secondary
  school, university

The results of the first (March-April, 57) and
second (May-June, 43) rounds of administration
were balanced.
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Monotonicity Coefficient
Age has negative correlations with the most
part of the variables. In particular Age is
correlated in a strongly negative way with
School, the majority of the variables related to
payment systems and to knowledge, all the
variables of familiarization systems (except
shopping 0 and radio .10) and the attitudes
variables. Age is also correlated positively with
the variables concerning the dimension
recognition ability Level of Education
(School) presents a positive trend of
correlations with 18 of the 28 variables adopted
in the WSSA1 as internal variables, and a
negative one with all the variables concerning to
the recognition ability of the , as well as some
of those tied to the knowledge Time presents
negative correlations with most of the variables
concerning the attitudes dimension,
familiarization systems, and use practices, and
positive with those that indicate knowledge and
banknote recognition, both front and back.
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The Dimensions

• As it is dealing with a complex representational
  object, the interviewed subjects' relationship
  with the is defined along various dimensions,
  on the theoretical level hypothesized as
  interdependent, such as
• Dimension of use practices concerning the
  currency coins, banknotes, checks, debit card
  and direct debit.
• Knowledge dimension (both as object and symbol)
  differences among European countries, knowledge
  about the banknote symbols, knowledge about the
  coin symbols, knowledge about - exchange,
  coin and banknote security features, countries
  that did not join the Euro-system in 2002
  (Denmark, UK, Sweden)
• Transactional dimension communication systems
  (television, newspapers, radio, advertisements,
  Internet) and Familiarization agents (shopping,
  bank clerks, postal clerks, everyday
  transactions) to which subjects are exposed
• Attitude dimension concerning the novelties that
  are introduced into the practice/economic
  transaction system on various levels Changeover
  Perception, Advantage-Disadvantage of
  introduction
• Cognitive dimension Recognition of banknote
  front, Recognition of banknote back, Recognition
  of coin front, Recognition of coin back.

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The SSA

• From the WSSA1 results a circular structure
  emerges in which it is possible to identify three
  rather distinct regions
• one region where the two dimensions are mixed
  (the first concerning the transactional dimension
  and the second the attitudes toward the
  dimension)
• a region in which are located the variables
  concerning currency use practices and therefore
  the as a vehicle of exchange
• a third region occupied by variables belonging to
  the cognitive and the knowledge dimensions.

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• Level of Education and Time/use frequency of the
  are projected inside the structure and the
  third variable, age, is projected outside that
  structure (in function of the negative
  correlation with most of the internal variables)
  on the boundaries of the Space Diagram.
• The level of education is projected in an
  intermediate position between the region occupied
  by the variables relating to exposure to various
  Transactional dimension, and the Attitudes
  towards the currency change and the dimension
  containing the various kinds of Use practices
  concerning the money.
• On the other hand, the variable Time /use
  frequency of the is located in the center of
  the region occupied by the variables concerning
  the cognitive dimension.

This result confirms the hypothesis of a relation
between the variables related to the knowledge
concerning the and the recognition ability for
both coins and banknotes, and the one related to
the flowing of time, as an indicator of the
increase in terms of use frequency for the .
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Facet Analysis results

• Facet A defines the use practices dimension that
  runs from more concrete to more abstract
  modalities. As was already found in the SSA
  results and confirmed in those of the Facet
  Analysis, the variables belonging to this
  dimension are organized in a well-delineated zone
  of the space.
• Facet B also appears strongly coherent, with all
  the variables that define it organized in a
  well-delineated region of the space (with the
  single exception of the Nocountry variable), on
  which was shown a modular circular process of
  regionality.
• On the geometric as well as the conceptual plane,
  facet B is strictly linked to facet E
  (identifiable with the recognition of coins and
  banknotes) containing the variables much more
  related to the Cognitive dimension.

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Facet Analysis results

• Also facet C, the Transactional dimension, whose
  variables are ascribable to familiarization
  agents and communication systems, result
  relatively coherent despite the fact that in the
  same space are also found the facet D variables
  (the Attitudes dimension concerning the currency
  changeover).
• The overlap of these two facets is explained by
  the correlation of the two facet D variables
  (Changeover Perception and Advantage-Disadvantage
  of introduction) with the variables that
  represent the communication systems of facet C.

In conclusion, the organization of variables
belonging to each facet, as well as their strong
concentration in specific regions of the Space
Diagram and the high level of regionality
coefficients confirm the coherence of the
construction/operationalization of each of the
dimensions considered in the questionnaire.
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Conclusions

• Using the Facet Theory in tandem with the Social
  Representations Theory allowed us to reach the
  goal of unifying structural and relational
  complexities with a systematic treatment of the
  familiarization processes indicators concerning
  the ? (Cohen, 2000).
• The results of Facet Analysis showed how 5
  dimensions appeared internally coherent
  Dimension of Use practices concerning the
  currency, Knowledge dimension, Transactional
  dimension and Familiarization agents, Attitude
  dimension, Cognitive dimension.
• On the basis of the projection of the external
  variables, we can attribute the distinction
  between the two halves of the Space Diagram (on
  one side variables concerning the Transactional
  dimension and Familiarization agents, Attitude
  dimension and Use practices dimensions and, on
  the others, the Cognitive dimension and Knowledge
  dimension), to the fact that they are
  substantially different in their evolution
  modalities and in the influencing factors.

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• In the case of the first three dimensions
  (Transactional dimension and Familiarization
  agents, Attitude dimension and Use practices
  dimensions), the effect of subjective variables
  seems to prevail such as the subject's level of
  education. However, in the case of the cognitive
  and the knowledge dimensions, seems to prevail
  the context variable concerning the flowing of
  time and therefore, an increase in use frequency.
• Age is only partially involved in the phenomenon,
  intervening in regulating some of the use
  practices of money.
• The hypothesis are confirmed to the extent that
  the combination of effects concerning various
  dimensions of the relationship between the
  subjects and the new currency is, in turn,
  influenced by the interaction of different
  population variables attributable to the subject
  (level of education) and the context (time
  passed/use frequency).

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Some references

• Cohen, E.H. (2000). Multi-dimensional analysis of
  international social indicators education,
  economy, media and demography. An explorative
  study. Social Indicators Research, 50, 83-106.
• de Rosa, A.S. Mormino, C. (2002). Au confluent
  de la mémoire sociale étude sur lidentité
  nationale et européenne. In S. Laurens, N.
  Roussiau (eds.), La mémoire sociale. Identités et
  Représentations Sociales (pp. 119-137). Rennes
  Les Presses Universitaires de Rennes (PUR).
• Legrenzi, P. (2001) Leuro in tasca, la lira
  nella mente e altre storie. Bologna Il Mulino,
  Contemporanea.
• Lemaire, P. Lecacheur, M. (2001). Older and
  adults strategy use and execution in currency
  conversion tasks insights from French franc to
  euro and euro to French franc conversions.
  Journal of Experimental Psychology, 7, 195-206.
• Mussweiler, T. Strack, F. (2004). The Euro and
  the common European market A single currency
  increases the comparability of prices. Journal of
  Economic Psychology, 25, 557-563.