Figure 2.

An illustration of L-Mode analysis examining whether there is a categorical or continuous difference between two groups of individuals. These data result from a hypothetical simulation where the x-axis is the degree of a latent construct (e.g., headache severity) and the y-axis represents the density of the sample for each value of the construct. Figure 2A displays two modes representing two distinct taxons (T₁ and T₂) that are distinct entities or groups. Figure 2B displays two groups that do not show a clear categorical distinction such that they can be viewed as points along a continuum with T2 being more severe than T1. These two plots are extreme examples of evidence that would support a categorical (2A) or continuous (2B) interpretation of an underlying construct (e.g., headache severity).