Cluster Interpretation: Tornado Diagram

Background & Context

• On this page, we present the Tornado Diagram for cluster interpretation as an alternative to Most Relevant Explanations for Cluster Interpretation.

• To provide further context for Most Relevant Explanations for Cluster Interpretation, we compare several other approaches that can help interpret individual Clusters:

  • Setting Evidence for Cluster Interpretation: Posterior Distributions, Relationship with Target Node, Mosaic Analysis, Posterior Mean Analysis, Segment Profile Analysis, Histograms, Tornado Diagrams,
  • Optimization for Cluster Interpretation: Dynamic Profile, Target Optimization Tree

• More specifically, we compare all these approaches with regard to characterizing the state $\mathit{Cluster\ 3}$ of the Cluster Node $\mathit{Factor}_0$ in the reference network.

• All analyses and instructions on this page refer to this reference network, which you can download here:

  MaleClusters.xbl

Tornado Diagrams

• To start Tornado Diagrams, select Main Menu > Visual > Target > Target's Posterior > Total Effects.

• The Tornado Diagram window opens up and presents an overview of all Clusters:

  

• Given our interest in $\mathit{Cluster\ 3}$, we select the corresponding tab in the window.

  

• Each manifest node is associated with a blue horizontal bar that visualizes the impact that node can have with regard to membership in $\mathit{Cluster\ 3}$.

• Starting with the top node, $6 - \mathit{Forearm\ Girth}$, we see that its value range can reduce the probability of membership in $\mathit{Cluster\ 3}$ to 0% and increase the probability of membership in $\mathit{Cluster\ 3}$ to 42.857%.

• Among all nodes, it has the biggest sway over membership in $\mathit{Cluster\ 3}$.

• At the bottom end, $10 - \mathit{Knee\ Girth}$, appears to have the least impact on membership in $\mathit{Cluster\ 3}$. It can only change the membership probability by 10 percentage points.

• For reference, the gray dashed vertical line indicates the a priori probability of membership in $\mathit{Cluster\ 3}$, i.e., 12.96%.

• With this reference point, we can see the upside and downside potential of a node. For instance, $5 - \mathit{Waist\ Girth}$ can bring the $\mathit{Cluster\ 3}$ membership probability down to 0%, but only lift it 5 percentage points beyond the a priori probability of 12.96%.