Quantitude

In this week’s episode, Greg and Patrick talk about the terrifying, the feared, the dreaded … Multicollinearity. Blamed for a multitude of general linear model problems, they dare to ask the question: “But should it be?” Along the way they also mention: having your stump ground out, fall guys, Keyser Soze, croissants and breadsticks, baguettes in space space space, mostly dead, the Cliffs of Moher, enablers, dangling on a wing and ...

In this week's episode, the first of Season 5, Patrick and Greg explore the very cool world of receiver operating characteristic, or ROC, curves: what they are, how they work, and why we can give partial thanks to Winston Churchill for their existence. Along the way they also mention: advent calendars, lasagna for 8, Honey Nut Cheerios, radio detection and ranging, flock of seagulls, broken pun promises, Dwayne Johnson, the wh...

In the last episode of season 4, Greg and Patrick discuss the very cool exploratory technique of cluster analysis — including concepts of multivariate distance, hierarchical and non-hierarchical methods, and how it differs from mixture models. Along the way they also mention: Scandinavian architects, raccoons on meth, vegetarian hotdogs, sh*t-ton of do-loops, free-range jam, statistical hairballs, Euclid’s burial, the platypus prob...

In this week's episode Patrick and Greg talk about the critical and often unmet assumptions underlying the use of measured variables at multiple time points, whether for simple analyses like tests of means or more complex analyses like modeling individual growth. Along the way they also mention: following your blocker, Pascal’s wager, Wikipedia empathy, ham sandwich syllogisms, flying cattle cars, Kennedy babies, Costco bathro...

In this week's episode Greg and Patrick are joined by Christen Priddie of Indiana University who will help them learn a bit about QuantCrit: its foundations, its purpose, and how it can enrich the quantitative methods process to which we might have become a little *too* accustomed.  Along the way they also mention unknown unknowns, explaining the ocean, young Pat, cackling, how Greg pays for college, crap with a number, too yo...

In honor of April Fool's Day, this week's episode is about being fooled, specifically quantitative things that can fool you, accompanied by some classic songs about being fooled.  Along the way, Greg and Patrick also mention ukus, the spaghetti harvest, sucker!, meet the new boss, traditions of doing things wrong, naked garbage bag poker, old man rants, rich Facebook friends, The Scarlet R, ar-ar-ar-ar-ar, bugs versus fea...

In this week's episode Patrick and Greg talk about exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), a technique drawing upon the strengths of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methods and able to be embedded within structural equation models. Along the way they also mention crab vs. crabs, Most Dangerous Catch, Next Day Blinds, smash-and-grab, sharp pencils, opening the barn doors, stinking badges, all hat and no ca...

In this week's episode Greg and Patrick talk with Dr. Ellen Hamaker from Utrecht University about the exciting and growing area of dynamic structural equation models. They discuss its tremendous substantive and methodological promise as well its assumptions and potential limitations. Along the way they also mention talking in acronyms, QSEM, cowardly bathroom stall phone calls, statistical sock puppets, interrupting Patrick, o...

In this week's episode Patrick and Greg discuss the dark art of using regression diagnostics to assess how well assumptions are met in the general linear model, with applications to the wide array of related techniques. Along the way they also mention Big Pharma, Merriam-Webster, free-radical opioids, baguettes, antisocial personality disorder, Elon Musk, yoinked, Trinity and Neo, your favorite child, Reservoir Dogs, your favo...

In this week's episode, Greg and Patrick talk about what you can do when latent variables conspire to multiplicatively interact, focusing on the classic product indicator approach and the more recently developed method of  latent moderated structural relations. Along the way they also mention confession, being hardly sorry, conspiracy theories, Greg's area 51 poster, trashed record needles, backwards messages, the Scooby ...

In this week's episode Patrick and Greg discuss variable transformations, both linear and non-linear, and explore the potential pros and cons of using these in applied research settings. Along the way they also mention prank phone calls, English drama, rapping Dr. Seuss, persnickety estimation, weekly banana intake, it don't make no never mind, Jeffrey Bezos, the square root of .5, leverage out the wazoo, Sexy Hulk and Ra...

In this week's episode Patrick and Greg talk about an alternative to familywise Type I error control, the false discovery rate, and how it offers increased power in that middle ground between no error control and the severe control of Bonferroni.  Along the way they also mention: Leif Ericson, discovering Columbus, The Flintstones, brontosauri, dying grandmas, Coors Field homeruns, hitting Richard, more Calvinball, the power r...

In this week's episode Greg and Patrick discuss how we might flip the traditional null and alternative hypothesis testing procedures to move us from tests of literal equality to tests of practical equivalence. Along the way they also discuss tough love, horseshoes and hand-grenades, Patrick’s Driving School, Cheyenne Mountain, So Long and Thanks For All the Fish, isn't that convenient, why people hate us, systolic blood p...

In this week's episode Patrick and Greg explore all the ways they lie about things when they teach, not the least of which is that there are actually no individual growth trajectories estimated in an individual trajectory growth model. They discuss why this is, how individual trajectory estimates can be obtained, and how these might be used in practice. Along the way they also mention the green light button, developmental mile...

In this week's episode Greg and Patrick revisit a topic they addressed in their 2nd-ever episode: statistical power. Here they continue their discussion by attempting to clarify the power of what, and they explore ways of obtaining meaningful power estimates using the structural equation modeling framework. Along the way they also discuss tearing arms off, German dentists, booby prizes, Dr. Strangelove, making it look like an ...

In this week's episode the employees of Quantitude International, including some very special guests, treat Greg and Patrick to a Secret Santa (ahem....secret Father Christmas) office party that they will not soon forget. Along the way they also mention mince meat pies, bangers, gits and tossers, Qurling (trademark pending), Vengeance Spice, hostage negotiation, Kevlar, Cantucky, Gerkins, tasing lemurs, lobsters vs. crabs, nam...

In today’s episode, Patrick and Greg talk about those critical distributions that often go un-discussed -- noncentral distributions -- including their relation to the more familiar central distributions, their role in power and sample size determination, and how they are used in assessing data-model fit. Along the way they also mention back porch reading, latent class of one, statistical concepts as personality characteristics,  do...

In today’s episode, Greg and Patrick talk about model under-, just-, and over-identification, starting with the algebraic foundations and moving into implications for the practice of structural equation modeling. Along the way they also mention shagging cars, new Ferraris, bank statements, prerecorded reactions, Quantitude implied contract, necessary & sufficient, walk of shame, Patrick’s Roz impression, working with explosives...

 In today's episode Patrick and Greg talk about that sweet spot between panel designs and time series designs, intensive longitudinal data — both the logistical and analytical challenges, but more importantly its tremendous potential.  Along the way they also mention camp fire face-plants, fear of horses, your spare eyelid, polishing your Nobel Prize, ripples in a pond, lick'm-sir, August 14th, the basketball effect, Sout...