TAXOMETRIC ANALYSIS .1. DETECTING TAXONICITY WITH 2 QUANTITATIVE INDICATORS USING MEANS ABOVE AND BELOW A SLIDING CUT (MAMBAC PROCEDURE)

Given two quantitative indicators of a conjectured latent taxon, a sta tistical function defined as the difference between the observed means for cases of one indicator (designated for the procedure as the ''out put'' indicator) falling above and below a sliding cut on the other in dicator (designated as the ''input'' indicator) indicates whether the latent structure is taxonic or nontaxonic (''factorial,'' ''dimensiona l''). If it is taxonic, latent parameters, e.g., base rate, hit rates, complement and taxon means, can be estimated. Graphs can be inspectio nally sorted with very high accuracy, even by laypersons. MAMBAC (Mean Above Minus Below A Cut) is one of a related family of taxometric pro cedures in Meehl's Coherent Cut Kinetics Method.