Ward and Hook Revisited: a Two-Part Procedure for Overcoming a Deficiency in the Grouping of Persons

The Ward and Hook (1963) hierarchical grouping program is a frequently used method to cluster persons into groups. Because of a deficiency in the procedure, the groupings are somewhat less than optimal. In order to meet this deficiency, a two-part procedure was developed to be used in conjunction with the Ward and Hook program for a more optimal grouping of subjects. The first part of the procedure checks the assignments of the subjects to the groups and removes inappropriately classified subjects. The second part confirms the reassignments of the subjects to their groups. Specifics regarding the application of the two-part procedure are discussed.