Predicting Group Differences In Cluster Analysis: The Social Area Problem

Prediction of group differences by cluster analysis procedures is described for the case of neighborhoods (tracts) of a metropolitan area. Social areas of homogeneous neighborhoods are isolated by objective "O-analysis" procedures of the BC TRY Computer System. The predictor attributes are pre-war demographic features from which high predictions both of demographic and voting-attitudes are made up to 15 years, despite the social disruptions of a great war. Three basic dimensions, Conservatism, Territoriality, and Exclusiveness are found to predict all demographic and attitudinal characteristics of neighborhoods over a decade and a half.