A Methodological Note on Typological Analysis in Status Consistency Research

Status consistency research has been severely criticized for its inability to reconcile certain problems of theory and method As the validity of these criticisms has become evident, researchers have turned from classic research designs to more powerful methods. One popular approach has incorporated typological procedures based on two-factor profiles of status inconsistents. In this paper, a serious fault of the two-factor technique is delineated, and the analysis of differences between types is shown to be without substance. Researchers are provided with a simple procedure for avoiding this pitfall before research is initiated, and elementary combinatorial analysis is utilized to derive a proper procedure. Two research designs, a 2 x 4 and a 3 x 4, receive special attention because of their popularity and complexity, respectively.