• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2004

Objectives : Based on the analysis of Yin-Yang[음양] characteristics and symptoms, each person is classified into Yin-Yang. Also the validity of the result is statistically analized. Methods : From Feb. to May. 2003, the data were collected through a questionnaire given to 690 patients. The questionnaire was composed of 34 items which were about personality, habit, sweat, response to coldness, thirst, bowel, urine, physical shape, and menstruation for women only. SD(Semantic Differential Technique) used for each item, each item is measured as a contrast of two opposite symptoms. Reliability analysis was used to select items and categories. Based on means of items in each category the Yin-Yang index was developed. The validity of Yin-Yang index was investigated using classification and clustering analysis. In statistical analysis, SPSS V10.0.7 PC was used. Results : The obtained results are summarized as follows: 1) We constructed Yin-Yang index based on the middle point of the sum of categorical means. Then we classified each person into Yin or Yang. 2) To investigate the validity of the distribution of personal Yin-Yang degree, the crosstabulation of results from clustering and classification was used. The hit ratio for classification was much higher than Maximum Chance Criterion($C_{max}$), and concurrence in crosstabulation was successful. Therefore we can infer that the distribution of Yin-Yang was valid. Conclusions : Based on Yin-Yang characteristics and symptoms, we was analyzed personal degree of Yin-Yang, and confirmed the validity of its distribution. Therefore this index can be used further for Bian-Zheng [변증] and classification of the constitution.