Quantitude

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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 so...

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 favori...

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 needl...

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, lever...

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 Ri...

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, w...

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 gre...

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....

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, tas...

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...

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...

 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, Augus...

In this week's episode Greg and Patrick get to explore modern methods for missing data analysis while belaboring quotes from Top Gun with their guest Craig Enders from the University of California at Los Angeles. Craig looks back over the past 20 years of developments in missing data analysis to discuss what has worked, what hasn't worked, and what new methods are available now that we d...

In this week's Halloween-themed episode, Patrick and Greg have fun talking about things in their academic jobs that scare them, from things that are a little scary to things that they find absolutely terrifying. Along the way they also discuss Mrs. Kopicky's caramel popcorn balls, Wolf of Wall Street, Kenny T, forgetting you've told a story before, forgetting you've told a stor...

In this week's episode Greg and Patrick talk about the frequent gap between research questions and methods and ways to think about reengineering your variables, your parameters, or your entire model to help get what you want. Along the way they also mention: living in the dorms, Greek god sculpture rockets, not living in the dorms, Christmas tree timers, Def Leppard, Legos, Annie's flowe...

In this week's episode Patrick and Greg spend a wonderful, if not at times awkward, hour talking with Dan Bauer about the genesis, application, and future directions of what may be the world's worst acronym: MNLFA, or moderated nonlinear factor analysis. Along the way they also mention unsolicited help from teenagers, gold stars, acronyms, words that start with "ci", aggressive...

In this week's episode Greg and Patrick talk about partial least squares, a technique that resembles structural equation modeling but with a lot of flexibility, including but not limited to its ability to accommodate both reflective and formative constructs. Along the way they also mention dark RedBubble, Sheep’s Kin, snorting SEM, the Coors Light beer bong, Hotelling's ghost, Larry the...

In this week's episode Patrick and Greg explore the often neglected method of two-stage least squares; they take a walk down memory lane to explore its origins and then drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century for much promising use within the latent variable model. Along the way they also mention magic dishwashers, being under-estimated, blind pigs & truffles, Sadie Hawkins, i...

This week Patrick and Greg talk about maximum likelihood estimation: what it is, where it comes from, how it works, what it can do, and what it can't do. Along they way they also mention tour-bombing your kid, licking the turtle, Van Halen and AC/DC, orange mustaches, brandy snifter pong, bus #27, Ronnie Fisher, why people hate us, circus tents, night parachuting, flat spots, lazy parabolas,...

In the opening episode to Season 4, Greg and Patrick delve into ordinary least squares estimation: where it came from, what it attempts to achieve, and where it can take us from here. Along the way they also discuss Golden Retrievers who are neither golden nor retrieve, Olivia Newton-John, sub-conning out their own work,  the meat sweats, sh*t you should know, being intolerably self-righteous, los...