Necessary Condition Analysis
Description
Performs a Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). (Dul, J. 2016. Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). ''Logic and Methodology of 'Necessary but not Sufficient' causality." Organizational Research Methods 19(1), 10-52) .
NCA identifies necessary (but not sufficient) conditions in datasets, where x causes (e.g. precedes) y. Instead of drawing a regression line ''through the middle of the data'' in an xy-plot, NCA draws the ceiling line. The ceiling line y = f(x) separates the area with observations from the area without observations.
(Nearly) all observations are below the ceiling line: y <= f(x). The empty zone is in the upper left hand corner of the xy-plot (with the convention that the x-axis is ''horizontal'' and the y-axis is ''vertical'' and that values increase ''upwards'' and ''to the right''). The ceiling line is a (piecewise) linear non-decreasing line: a linear step function or a straight line. It indicates which level of x (e.g., an effort, a characteristic) is necessary but not sufficient for a (desired or undesired) level of y (e.g., good performance or disease). A quick start guide for using this package can be found here: or .