Quantitude

After completely blowing an ambitious summer schedule of weekly episodes, Patrick and Greg sit poolside and shoot the breeze about  the fascinating history of quantitative methods. No, for real; it’s actually fascinating. Anyway, they start with some of the old gamblers from the 1600s and work their way through the early decades of the 20th century. This discussion sets the stage nicely for a futu...

In the final episode of Season 2, Greg and Patrick enlist the help of colleagues in a conversation about the joys and challenges of being a good mentor. Along the way they also discuss Cinco de Cuatro, Fozzie Bear, trash compactors and rubber snakes, pitchers at Linda's, giant jugs of wine, meeting the dog, someone in the control tower, 20 to life, parallel play, escalators and stairs, puzzle...

In this episode Patrick and Greg construct a deconstruction of the construct of construct validity. Constructively. Along the way they also discuss Jacques, sheep STDs, Bill Clinton, college admissions, touching a giant turtle, butwinking, cadaver bingo, nomological networks, teen spirit, playing drop-the-hanky, ticket to the prom, and lipstick on a pig.  Stay in contact with Quantitude! Web page:...

Greg and Patrick talk about how, although textbooks almost exclusively talk about simple random samples, in practice they almost never actually occur. To try to sort this out, they enlist the help of Dr. Laura Stapleton from the University of Maryland, who lived a prior life as an economist and knows a thing or two about sampling designs. Along the way they also discuss killing bugs, Winston Churc...

Patrick and Greg celebrate international haiku day with listener-submitted HaiQs, and somehow tie that to a discussion of team science, all while interviewing intern applicant Ethan McCormick. Along the way they also discuss Googling as research, cheddar fries, Big Lima Bean, Mc vs. Mac, moody loners in Montana cabins, English particle accelerators, the Boulder Model, a research prenup, the green...

Greg and Patrick explore the many interesting issues related to centering predictor variables prior to analysis, both in the standard regression model and in the multilevel model. Along the way they also discuss honking Diet Coke through your nose, rashes, hostage negotiation, reading at seven months of age, dealer's choice, Coors Light, Galapagos tortoises, friendly monsters, monkeys at type...

Patrick and Greg fulfill a legal obligation to interview the unnecessarily ubiquitous Dr. Dan McNeish of Arizona State University about why you probably don't need to use multilevel modeling even when you have multilevel data. Along the way they also mention MacNair, safety schools, the Green Monster, driving a Corvette across the country, Compensation Club, anklet shocks, endogeneity, frunks...

Pursuant to court order, Greg and Patrick find themselves legally compelled to discuss key aspects of training quantitative methodologists, including knowledge acquisition, knowledge application, and knowledge generation. Along the way, they also mention: Nuckles, too many Dans, onomatopoeia, The One, the number of the day, a big tylenol, bluesheets, Mr. Miyagi, Lunch n Learn, reviewing for journa...

In this episode Patrick and Greg discuss the challenges of having ordered categorical data, as well as the seemingly magical limited information and full information analytical options to deal with such data. Along the way they also discuss sky cranes, the Mars Climate Orbiter, metric vs. imperial units of measurement, Lockheed-Martin, left hands and right hands, the A380, 6-inch extension cords,...

In this episode Greg and Patrick attempt to resolve long festering relationship issues that arise between the multilevel modeling and structural equation modeling approaches to growth curve analysis. Along the way they also discuss first dates, Jets and Sharks, Cubs and Cardinals, Montagues and Capulets, Tsingtao Beer, Thunderdome, stupid LISREL tricks, pressure math, dirty secrets, selfishness, a...

In this episode Patrick and Greg talk about the dreaded but often very real case of having a small sample size: what you should watch out for, and what options you have to squeeze the most information and inferential potential from your precious data. Along the way they also mention Name That Tune, Space Mountain, the Tiki Room, parapraxis, extraordinary least squares, Applebee's, B words, Ee...

In this episode Greg and Patrick explore the freakish and terrifying topic of equivalent models, particularly as they arise within the structural equation modeling analytical framework. Along the way they also discuss rinsing toes, palindromes, anagrams, being a tad unquiet, under-teaching, double-secret probation, scary cousins, sausage makers, Tribbles, empty beer bottles, Hard Core History, a s...

Patrick and Greg talk about variability — both within individuals and within groups —  as a source of really interesting and often overlooked research questions, to complement our well-developed skillset for studying means. Along the way, they also mention: Natatoriums, finding your spot, picking at a scab, the Polkaholics, Location Scale models, high-fiving statisticians, Inception, cooking with...

In this episode Greg and Patrick embark on a sometimes unhinged discussion of outlying and influential observations: where do they come from, how are they identified, and what do we do with them. Along the way they also discuss the outlier bell, stubbornness, pre-holiday grievances, Polly, Sesame Street, being more less likely, Greg's freak brother, operas, Nebraska cornfields, talking to vol...

In this episode Patrick and Greg talk about latent variables: what they are, why we care, and under what circumstances we can analyze them directly. Along the way they also discuss: BWI, dadgic, Patrick's bromance, the economy, Chris Botti, inter-planetary probes, Gronk, 118 degree dry heat, the evil eye, and Dora the Explorer. Stay in contact with Quantitude! Web page: quantitudepod.org Twit...

Greg and Patrick again subcontract out their own work by inviting a range of experts from different disciplines to share their perspectives on the future of teaching quantitative methods. They also discuss revenge, cryogenics, evacuation com...., American Idiot, 11 reasons why we blink, being hardly sorry, Googling how to fly a 737, machine directed latent mixture basket weaving...in R, the Levy S...

In today’s episode, Patrick and Greg talk about the tenure process: what it is, why it exists, how they see it, and some thoughts that might be helpful on the journey, fully realizing that institutions and fields are different, so your mileage may vary. Along the way, they also mention Fermat's Theorem, Ten Year, The Wizard, Flying Monkeys, the child catcher, water on rocks, fat old bald men,...

In this episode Patrick and Greg compare and contrast multiple regression and the structural equation model and argue that although regression has brought us far, there are numerous reasons to turn to the SEM to continue to drive us forward. Along the way they also address gad flies, the Louisiana Purchase, Kool-Aid, high school friends, spring break, STDs, Southwest Airlines, radial arm saws, cou...

Greg and Patrick ring in the new year with a rambling discussion of univariate and multivariate normality: what it is, when and why we assume it, and does it really matter. (Spoiler alert -- it DOES). Along the way, they also discuss statistics history, supplement #2,  Larry the Book Shop Guy, Isaac Newton's BFF, platypuses, collaborating with someone because your names rhyme, unicorns, calli...

In this very special episode, Greg and Patrick host the Quantitude Holiday Party at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC. In addition to the traditional holiday Airing of Grievances, the party features a number of special guests from across the spectrum of quantitative methodology, some more inebriated than others. Please join us to end this otherwise awful and challenging year with some much-nee...

In this episode Patrick and Greg explore the many faces of ethics in quantitative research, particularly as related to issues that arise in the day-to-day analytical decisions we make. In that spirit, Quantitude has an ethical obligation to warn listeners that they also discuss speedometers, rushing and dragging, shoplifting, calling me Shirley, asteroids vs. pinball, apple pie, Beneficence and No...

Greg and Patrick discuss issues of controlling for extraneous variables, by randomization and by design, but especially the challenges and assumptions associated with statistical control. Along the way they also mention drag racing, Volkswagen Bugs, Seabiscuit, Harrison Bergeron, Diet Coke, Janet Jackson, John Denver, gastrointestinal distress, Sewall Wright, and babies and bathwater.  Stay in con...

In this episode Patrick & Greg consider in what ways they have become their parents and then attempt to use that insight to better understand how one can provide a quantitative review of a substantive manuscript without becoming the much reviled Reviewer 2. Along the way they also discuss Ginsu knives, not wearing pants, Ouija boards, using "and" in place of "but", five-fin...

Greg and Patrick discuss Patrick's potentially horrible idea for post-publication review, in which a journal is created for the sole purpose of reviewing the soundness of the quantitative methods used in papers that have already been published in flagship journals. Hair-brained scheme, or sheer genius? You be the judge. Along the way they also mention driving without headlights, homemade expl...

Today Patrick & Greg step off-camera and pull in Dr. Samantha Anderson who is a quantitative psychologist at Arizona State University and is an expert in all things related to the so-called “replication crisis.” They are uncharacteristically quiet as she talks about the past, present, and future of replication in the social sciences. Along the way they also discuss: Ask Sammy, bioluminescence,...