Multivariate statistical analyses are designed to simplify the relationships that exist within a complex array of data. Within the chemical senses, multivariate methods have been used to address a number of problems, including the classification of neurons and the description of stimulus relationships. This paper presents a conceptual discussion of hierarchical cluster analysis, factor analysis, and non-metric multidimensional scaling, emphasizing how each of these procedures operates, how each is interpreted, and how they relate to one another. These techniques are applied to the stimulus relationships within a single set of chemosensory data. The results are used to provide a conceptual understanding of these multivariate procedures and to illustrate the similarities and differences among them.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Bieber et al. (1986) studied this question.