Forced Classification: A Simple Application of a Quantification Method

This study formulates a property of a quantification method, the principle of equivalent partitioning (PEP). When the PEP is used together with Guttman's principle of internal consistency (PIC) in a simple way, the combination offers an interesting way of analyzing categorical data in terms of the variate(s) chosen by the investigator, a type of canonical analysis. The study discusses applications of the technique to multiple-choice, rank-order, and paired comparison data.