CPI
Noun 1. An index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer: A primary measure used to estimate the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. It is a key indicator for tracking inflation and changes in the cost of living. 2. A self-report personality inventory originally derived from the MMPI: A psychological assessment tool consisting of several hundred yes-no questions designed to measure personality traits and behaviors across multiple scales, such as dominance, self-acceptance, self-control, socialization, and achievement.
- As an economic indicator:
- The government reported that the CPI rose by 0.3% last month.
- Economists use the CPI to adjust social security benefits for inflation.
- A sharp increase in the CPI often prompts the central bank to consider raising interest rates.
- As a psychological assessment:
- The psychologist administered the CPI to assess the candidate's interpersonal strengths.
- Her CPI profile showed high scores on the scales for socialization and achievement.
- Core CPI: A version of the Consumer Price Index that excludes volatile food and energy prices to provide a clearer view of underlying, long-term inflation trends.
- While the headline CPI spiked, the core CPI remained stable.
- CPI-U and CPI-W: Specific versions of the index. CPI-U is for all urban consumers, while CPI-W is for urban wage earners and clerical workers.
- Cost-of-living adjustments for federal pensions are often tied to the CPI-W.
- Inflation Rate: Often calculated as the percentage change in the CPI over a specific period.
- Market Basket: The fixed set of goods and services used to track price changes for the CPI.
- Psychological Inventory: A broader category of tests that includes the CPI.
- For the economic index: Cost-of-living index, price index.
- For the personality inventory: Psychological test, personality assessment, psychometric instrument.
The word CPI is a clear example of an initialism with two distinct, unrelated meanings. The intended meaning is entirely dependent on the context. * In economics, finance, news, and policy discussions, CPI almost exclusively refers to the Consumer Price Index. * In psychology, clinical practice, or research contexts, CPI refers to the California Psychological Inventory.
- a self-report personality inventory originally derived from the MMPI; consists of several hundred yes-no questions and yields scores on a number of scales including dominance and self acceptance and self control and socialization and achievement etc.
- an index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer