PREDICTION ENHANCEMENT THROUGH USE OF MODERATOR VARIABLES

In order to increase the ability of clinicians to predict the subsequent behavior of 76 inmates in a juvenile correctional institution, moderator variables, i.e., variables which were correlated with degree of predictability of inmates as measured by the relative magnitudes of the difference scores between predictor and criterion variables were developed. These moderator variables were then used to remove less predictable Ss from a cross-validation sample, resulting in a moderate increase in the correlation between predictor and criterion variables when 1/3 of the least predictable Ss were removed, and a more substantial increase when 1/2 of the least predictable Ss were similarly removed. The method showed considerable potential value as a means of facilitating more accurate classifications of inmates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.