WEIGHTS Subcommand (PREFSCAL command)

The WEIGHTS subcommand specifies the variables that contain the nonnegative weights for the proximities that are included in the active dataset.

  • The number and order of the variables in the variable list is important. The first variable in the WEIGHTS variable list corresponds to the first variable on the PREFSCAL variable list. This correspondence is repeated for all variables on the variable lists. Every proximity has its own weight. Therefore, the number of variables on the WEIGHTS subcommand must be equal to the number of variables on the PREFSCAL variable list.
  • Negative weights are not allowed. If negative weights are specified, an error message is issued, and the procedure aborts.
  • The weight variable (set with WEIGHT BY) allows for the weighting of entire rows. The weight variable must contain positive, nonzero values.

Example

DATA LIST FILE = ’breakfast.dat’ FREE 
  /var01 TO var15 wgt01 TO wgt15.
PREFSCAL var01 TO var15
  /WEIGHTS = wgt01 TO wgt15.
  • In this example, the PREFSCAL variable list indicate that there are 15 column objects, of which the weights can be found in wgt01 to wgt15.
  • wgt01 contains the weights for var01, wgt02 contains the weights for var02, and so on.