Peers Chart

Figure 1. Peers chart
Peers chart

The default auxiliary view is the peers chart, which highlights the two focal records selected in the predictor space and their k nearest neighbors on each of six features--the first six input fields of the source data.

The vehicles are represented by their record numbers in the source data. This is where we need the output from the Table node to help identify them.

If the Table node output is still available:

  1. Click the Outputs tab of the manager pane at the top right of the main IBM® SPSS® Modeler window.
  2. Double-click the entry Table (16 fields, 159 records).

    If the table output is no longer available:

  3. On the main IBM SPSS Modeler window, open the Table node.
  4. Click Run.
    Figure 2. Identifying records by record number
    Identifying records by record number

    Scrolling down to the bottom of the table, we can see that newCar and newTruck are the last two records in the data, numbers 158 and 159 respectively.

    Figure 3. Comparing features on the peers chart
    Comparing features on the peers chart

    From this we can see on the peers chart, for example, that newTruck (159) has a bigger engine size than any of its nearest neighbors, while newCar (158) has a smaller engine than any of its nearest neighbors.

    For each of the six features, you can move the mouse over the individual dots to see the actual value of each feature for that particular case.

    But which vehicles are the nearest neighbors for newCar and newTruck?

    The peers chart is a little bit crowded, so let's change to a simpler view.

  5. Click the View drop-down list at the bottom of the peers chart (the entry that currently says Peers).
  6. Select Neighbor and Distance Table.

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