In probability theory and statistics, Goodman & Kruskal's lambda (
λ
λ
λ=
\varepsilon1-\varepsilon2 | |
\varepsilon1 |
.
where
\varepsilon1
\varepsilon2
Values for lambda range from zero (no association between independent and dependent variables) to one (perfect association).
Although Goodman and Kruskal's lambda is a simple way to assess the association between variables, it yields a value of 0 (no association) whenever two variables are in accord—that is, when the modal category is the same for all values of the independent variable, even if the modal frequencies or percentages vary. As an example, consider the table below, which describes a fictitious sample of 350 individuals, categorized by relationship status and blood pressure. Assume that the relationship status is the independent variable, the blood pressure is the dependent variable, i.e., the question asked is "can the blood pressure be predicted better if the relationship status is known?"
Relationship Status | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unmarried | Married | ||||
Blood Pressure | Normal | 80% (120) | 51% (102) | 63.4% (222) | |
High | 20% (30) | 49% (98) | 36.6% (128) | ||
Total | 42.9% (150) | 57.1% (200) | 100% (350) |
For this sample,
λ=
128-(30+98) | |
128 |
=0
The reason is that the predicted nominal blood pressure is actually "Normal" in both columns (both upper numbers are higher than the corresponding lower number). Thus, considering the relationship status will not change the prediction that people have a normal blood pressure, even though the data indicate that being married increases the probability of high blood pressure.
If the question is changed, e.g. by asking "What is the predicted relationship status based on blood pressure?,"
λ
That is:
λ=
150-(30+102) | |
150 |
=0.12