The Effects of Random Error and Subsampling of Dimensions on Recovery of Configurations by Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling

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Abstract
Similarity judgments of three-dimensional stimuli were simulated, with the hypothetical subject attending to only some dimensions of stimulus variation (i.e., “subsampling”) on each trial. Recovery of the stimulus configuration by non-metric multidimensional scaling was investigated as a function of subsampling, the amount of random error in the judgments, and the number of stimuli being scaled.It was found that: (1) dimensions to which the subject often attends were well recovered even when dimensions seldom attended to were not, and (2) measures of recovery based on interpoint distances were inadequate. Several previous Monte Carlo studies were evaluated in light of the results.