Agent-based models (ABMs) often rely on psychometric constructs such as 'opinions', 'stubbornness', 'happiness', etc. The measurement process for these constructs is quite different from the one used in physics as there is no standardized unit of measurement for opinion or happiness. Consequently, measurements are usually affected by 'psychometric…

The accuracy of Kendall's chi square approximation (M. Kendall, 1962) to circular triad distributions was assessed by comparing estimated indices to enumerated values across upper and lower tails of cumulative proportions of circular triad distributions. In general, the approximation was found to be quite good, and its use is discussed. (SLD)

The frequencies of "m" independent "p-way" contingency tables are analyzed by a model that assumes that the ordinal category data in each of "m" groups are generated from a latent continuous multivariate normal distribution. The model permits analysis of several groups of individuals simultaneously. (TJH)

A method of comparing one-step M-estimates of location for heavy tailed distributions is proposed and investigated. Simulations indicate that the new procedure provides good control over Type I errors and has more power than do some other methods for dealing with heavy tailed distributions. (SLD)

The derivation of the variance of similarity judgments is made from the 3-D process in nonlinear psychophysics. The idea of separability of dimensions in metric space theories of similarity is replaced by one parameter that represents the degree of a form of interdimensional cross-sampling. (SLD)

Psychology studies often have low statistical power. Sample size tables, as given by J. Cohen (1988), may be used to increase power, but they are based on Monte Carlo studies of relatively "tame" mathematical distributions, as compared to psychology data sets. In this study, Monte Carlo methods were used to investigate Type I and Type II…