Piecewise Method of Reciprocal Averages for Dual Scaling of Multiple-Choice Data

The proposed method handles the classical method of reciprocal averages (MRA) in a piecewise (item-by-item) mode, whereby one can deal with smaller matrices and attain faster convergence to a solution than the MRA. A new concept “the principle of constant proportionality” is introduced to provide an interesting interpretation for scaling multiple-choice data á la Guttman. A small example is presented for discussion of the technique.