TAXOMETRIC ANALYSIS .2. DETECTING TAXONICITY USING COVARIANCE OF 2 QUANTITATIVE INDICATORS IN SUCCESSIVE INTERVALS OF A 3RD INDICATOR (MAXCOV PROCEDURE)

Given three quantitative indicators of a conjectured latent taxon: a s tatistical function defined as the covariance of two indicators (desig nated for the procedure as the ''output'' indicators) computed within successive intervals along the third (designated as ''input'') indicat or reveals whether the latent structure of the data is taxonic or not. If it is taxonic, latent parameters (base rate, hit rates, complement and taxon means) can be estimated, the latent distributions drawn, an d subjects assigned to the taxon or the complement group. Several cons istency tests art: described. MAXCOV (MAXimum COVariance) is one of a related family of taxometric procedures in Meehl's Coherent Cut Kineti cs Method.