Cluster Analysis

Cluster Analysis
• Cluster analysis is a class of techniques used to classify objects or cases
into relatively homogeneous groups called clusters. Objects in each cluster
tend to be similar to each other and dissimilar to objects in the other
clusters. Cluster analysis is also called classification analysis, or numerical
taxonomy.
• Both cluster analysis and discriminant analysis are concerned with
classification. However, discriminant analysis requires prior knowledge of
the cluster or group membership for each object or case included, to
develop the classification rule. In contrast, in cluster analysis there is no a
priori information about the group or cluster membership for any of the
objects. Groups or clusters are suggested by the data, not defined a priori.
An Ideal Clustering Situation

Fig. 1

Variable 1

Variable 2
A Practical Clustering Situation
Fig. 2

Variable 1

X
Variable 2
Conducting Cluster Analysis
Fig. 3
Formulate the Problem

Select a Distance Measure

Select a Clustering Procedure

Decide on the Number of Clusters

Interpret and Profile Clusters

Assess the Validity of Clustering

 Attitudinal Data For Clustering
Case No. V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6

Table 1
1 6 4 7 3 2 3
2 2 3 1 4 5 4
3 7 2 6 4 1 3
4 4 6 4 5 3 6
5 1 3 2 2 6 4
6 6 4 6 3 3 4
7 5 3 6 3 3 4
8 7 3 7 4 1 4
9 2 4 3 3 6 3
10 3 5 3 6 4 6
11 1 3 2 3 5 3
12 5 4 5 4 2 4
13 2 2 1 5 4 4
14 4 6 4 6 4 7
15 6 5 4 2 1 4
16 3 5 4 6 4 7
17 4 4 7 2 2 5
18 3 7 2 6 4 3
19 4 6 3 7 2 7
20 2 3 2 4 7 2
A Classification of Clustering Procedures

Fig. 4 Clustering Procedures

Hierarchical Nonhierarchical Other

Agglomerative Divisive Two-Step

Linkage Variance Centroid Sequential Parallel Optimizing

Methods Methods Methods Threshold Threshold Partitioning

Ward’s
Method

Single Complete Average

Linkage Linkage Linkage
Linkage Methods of Clustering
Fig. 5 Single Linkage
Minimum Distance

Cluster 1 Cluster 2
Complete Linkage
Maximum
Distance

Cluster 1 Cluster 2
Average Linkage

Average Distance
Cluster 1 Cluster 2
Other Agglomerative Clustering Methods
Fig. 6
Ward’s Procedure

Centroid Method
Dendrogram Using Ward’s Method
Fig. 7
Thank you