ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the relevant conceptual and empirical data considerations, including the conventional guidelines derived from Monte Carlo studies that have been used to judge the adequacy of a data set for taxometric investigation. It introduces a technique that is intended to supplement these more general guidelines with direct empirical evaluation of the adequacy of a particular data set for a planned taxometric analysis. The chapter describes a technique by which one can determine whether a particular set of indicators is appropriate for a planned taxometric procedure or consistency test implemented in a particular way. The ability to draw inferences about the latent structure of a construct requires careful consideration of how well that construct is represented by the indicators submitted to analysis. The number of indicators included in a taxometric analysis has implications for analytic flexibility and, under certain conditions, statistical power.
