thresholdssetter {QCA3}R Documentation

Recode continuous variable into binary/multi-value variable

Description

If the conditions is continuous variable, it has to be recoded into binary variable in order to conduct csQCA, or multi-value variable in order to conduct mvQCA. thresholdsster helps to recode the variable using cluster analysis (the default method is 'average linkage').

Usage

thresholdssetter(x, nthreshold = 1, value = TRUE, method ="average",
                 thresholds=NULL,dismethod="euclidean",print.table=TRUE)

Arguments

x A continouse variable.
nthreshold The number of thresholds.
value logical, returns the recoded variable when TRUE, otherwise returns the thresholods only.
method method of cluster analysis. See hclust for more details.
thresholds numeric vector of the threshold values. If it is not NULL, then recode the variable according to thresholds rather than cluster analysis. The threshold values are included in the smaller group.
dismethod method argument for dist.
print.table logical, if TRUE, print the table of the recoded variable.

Details

In order to dichotomize the data, 1 threshold is needed; to trichotomize the data, 2 thresholds are needed; and so on. Yet, it should not be a large number, otherwise, limited diversity is a problem. It is suggested to be 1 to 3.

Whenever possible, use theoretically meaningful thresholds. Use statistical means only when necessary. The thresholds should make theoretical sense, thus you should examine the threshold values before going on. Good thresholod values should NOT create very differently sized subgroups. Mean and median should be avoided as well.

Value

A vector of the thresholds when value is FALSE. The recoded variable when value is TRUE.

Author(s)

Ronggui HUANG

References

Cronqvist, Lasse and Berg-Schlosser, Dirk. 2009. Multi-Value QCA (mvQCA). In Configuraional comparative Methods: qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and related techniques. ed by Benoit RiHoux and Charles Ragin. Sage.

Cronqvist, L. 2007. Tosmana user manual. http://www.tosmana.net/tosmana_manual1_3beta.pdf

Examples

cuttingPoint <- thresholdssetter(Lipset$GNPCAP,2,value=FALSE)
thresholdssetter(Lipset$GNPCAP,thresholds=cuttingPoint)
thresholdssetter(Lipset$GNPCAP,2)## the same as the previous one
thresholdssetter(Lipset$GNPCAP,2,print=FALSE) ## print recoded variable rather than a table

[Package QCA3 version 0.0-2 Index]