In Exercise 7.48 using Mireault.dat, we compared the responses of students who had lost a parent and students who had not lost a parent in terms of their responses on the Global Symptom Index T score (GSIT), among other variables. An alternative analysis would be to use a clinically meaningful cutoff on the GSIT, classifying anyone over that score as a clinical case (showing a clinically significant level of symptoms) and everyone below that score as a noncase. Derogatis (1983) has suggested a score of 63 as the cutoff (e.g., if GSIT . 63 then ClinCase 5 1; else ClinCase 5 0).

a. Use any statistical package to create the variable of ClinCase, as defined by Derogatis.

Then cross-tabulate ClinCase against Group. Compute chi-square and Cramér’s fC.

b. How does the answer to part

(a) compare to the answers obtained in Chapter 7?

c. Why might we prefer this approach (looking at case versus noncase) over the procedure adopted in Chapter 7?

(Hint: SAS will require Proc Freq; and SPSS will use CrossTabs. The appropriate manuals will help you set up the commands.)