Simple correspondence analysis using adjusted residuals

Correspondence analysis is a versatile statistical technique that allows the user to graphically identify the association that may exist between variables of a contingency table. For two categorical variables, the classical approach involves applying singular value decomposition to the Pearson residuals of the table. These residuals allow for one to use a simple test to determine those cells that deviate from what is expected under independence. However, the assumptions concerning these residuals are not always satisfied and so such results can lead to questionable conclusions. One may consider instead, an adjustment of the Pearson residual, which is known to have properties associated with the standard normal distribution. This paper explores the application of these adjusted residuals to correspondence analysis and determines how they impact upon the configuration of points in the graphical display.