| Abstrakt: |
The assumptions implicit in a concept of plane of living and the construction of a plane of living index are seldom stated explicitly, and are frequently internally inconsistent. If it is assumed that the items comprising a plane of living index measure a broad plane of living, of which they are but segments, they must be weighted according to their representativeness. Since regions and subregions are not always homogeneous with respect to physical and social factors that alter the typicalness of the index items, it lessens the accuracy of the index to assign equal weights to the items. The amount of intercorrelation existing between the items may be considered a measure of their representativeness. When the items are weighted in this manner, the resulting index more nearly approximates actual conditions in the area. This is demonstrated for the state of Vermont. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
