A Method of Classifying Non-Scale Response Patterns in a Guttman Scale

In this paper, the author describes a simple method for the placement of non-scale response patterns in a Guttman scale, without use of the more complex “Modified Latent Distance” technique. Non-scale patterns are first assigned by the minimum error criterion. Where this results in ambiguous assignments, the patterns are then assigned to the perfect scale type having the greatest frequency of cases. The author is on the staff of the Laboratory of Social Relations at Harvard University.