Evaluating Object Set Partitions: Free-Sort Analysis and Some Generalizations.

Abstract A statistical framework is suggested for comparing a single partition of an object set to a second partition posited a priori , or possibly, to a more general proximity matrix. For a particular correlational index of correspondence, appropriate mean and variance formulae are presented and incorporated into analyses that follow the standard nonparametric randomization model. Several numerical illustrations are given using data collected by Anglin (1970) on word meaning.