Meta-analytic criterion profile analysis

Intraindividual patterns or configurations are intuitive explanations for phenomena, and popular in both lay and research contexts. Criterion profile analysis (CPA; Davison & Davenport, 2002) is a well-established, regression-based pattern matching procedure that identifies a pattern of predictors that optimally relate to a criterion of interest and quantifies the strength of that association. Existing CPA methods require individual-level data, limiting opportunities for reanalysis of published work, including research synthesis via meta-analysis and associated corrections for psychometric artifacts. In this article, we develop methods for meta-analytic criterion profile analysis (MACPA), including new methods for estimating cross-validity and fungibility of criterion patterns. We also review key methodological considerations for applying MACPA, including homogeneity of studies in meta-analyses, corrections for statistical artifacts, and second-order sampling error. Finally, we present example applications of MACPA to published meta-analyses from organizational, educational, personality, and clinical psychological literatures. R code implementing these methods is provided in the configural package, available at https://cran.r-project.org/package=configural and at https://doi.org/10.17605/osf.io/aqmpc. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).