Average linkage method

One of the methods used in cluster analysis in a marketing research project. It is a form of linkage methods. In this method the distance between the two clusters is defined as the average of the distances between all pairs of objects, where one member of the pair is from each of the cluster. This method also uses information on all pairs of distance, not merely the minimum or maximum distances. For this reason, it is usually preferred to the single and complete linkage methods.