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The Use of Extreme Groups in Assessing Relationships

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

Edward F. Alf. Jr.  and
Norman M. Abrahams
Edward F. Alf. Jr.
Affiliation:
Navy Personnel Research and Development Center
Norman M. Abrahams
Affiliation:
Navy Personnel Research and Development Center
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Abstract

The relationship between variables in applied and experimental research is often investigated by the use of extreme (i.e., upper and lower) groups. Earlier analytical work has demonstrated that the extreme groups procedure is more powerful than the standard correlational approach for some values of the correlation and extreme group size. The present article provides methods for using the covariance information that is usually discarded in the classical extreme groups approach. Essentially, then, the new procedure combines the extreme groups approach and the correlational approach. Consequently, it includes the advantages of each and is shown to be more powerful than either approach used alone.

Type
Original Paper
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 40 , Issue 4 , December 1975 , pp. 563 - 572
Copyright
Copyright © 1975 The Psychometric Society

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Footnotes

*

Edward F. Alf., Jr., is also affiliated with the Department of Psychology, San Diego State University.

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