In this week’s episode Greg and Patrick have a loosely organized discussion about metrics, including the pros and cons of raw versus standardized scales and the advantages of having multiple metrics for the same effect. Along the way they also discuss the Odyssey, Dulles airport, driving in Canada, Smitty’s corpse, friends in low places, two […]
S8E02 Lost in Standardization Read More »
In this In The Wild episode, Greg and Patrick turn their Quantitude loose on college admission essays, in particular whether or not they should be used to make such high-stakes decisions, and they discuss what issues would need to be addressed in order to answer that question. Related Episodes S7E10: A Report Card on GPAs S7E07: Is
S7E11 Should Essays be Used in College Admissions? Maybe… Read More »
In this week’s episode Greg and Patrick have fun exploring the questionably valid but always high stakes role of the grade point average, or GPA. They consider the different ways in which grades can be assigned, what they may or may not actually represent, and how they have become increasingly inflated over time. Along the
S7E10 A Report Card on GPAs Read More »
In this week’s episode Patrick and Greg talk about latent transition analysis, which embeds latent class analysis within a longitudinal context, allowing us to explore, as well as to formally test, patterns of individual change in latent class membership over time. Along the way they also mention: identity crises, the crossword puzzler, the nihilist, here
S7E09 Modeling Categorical Change with Latent Transition Analysis Read More »
In this In The Wild episode, Greg and Patrick turn their Quantitude loose on the ever-present SAT, in particular the premise that it is biased and should be banned. They also talk about what issues would need to be addressed in order to evaluate whether or not that’s a reasonable claim. Related Episodes S5E19: Item Response Theory,
S7E07 Is the SAT Biased and Should be Banned? Maybe… Read More »
In this week’s episode Greg and Patrick shine a flashlight on correspondence analysis and find that this is an extraordinarily cool yet often neglected method similar to factor analysis but applied to nominal contingency tables. Along the way they also discuss online personality tests, marital therapy, modern antibiotics, the Newlywed Game, grand slams, the advantages
S6E16 Correspondence Analysis Read More »
In this week’s episode Greg and Patrick invoke the very personal interpretation of modern art as a framework for thinking about the exceedingly cool topic of rotation in exploratory factor analysis. Along the way they also discuss Venice Beach, haystacks, drug fronts, being insufferable, ignoramuses, .22’s and stop signs, weak pivots, honking factors, pooping out
S6E14 Factor Rotation: But is it Art? Read More »
This week Patrick and Greg talk about one of Patrick’s favorite papers, which is a masterpiece not only in terms of its quantitative contribution in understanding the differential role of factor scores, but also as a model of clear and concise technical communication. Along the way they also mention Sandals and Motel 6, hotel hangers
S6E09 Masterpiece Theatre: Skrondal & Laake (2001) Read More »
In this week’s episode Greg and Patrick talk about the advantages of recent structural after measurement work, allowing us to break apart traditional structural equation models to analyze the measurement and structural portions separately. Along the way they also discuss the baseball playoffs, fire pit face plants, the gluten cabinet, pumpkin inadequacy, a soupçon of
S6E07 Structural After Measurement and the Muffin of Truth Read More »
In this week’s episode, Greg and Patrick talk about person-centered methods versus variable-centered methods with the punch line being that the historically contentious distinction between these two is unnecessary, unhelpful, and even counter productive. Along the way they also discuss lost luggage, Sabena Air t-shirts, the Inquisition, honey badger Americans, Fredrik Backman, punch lines, a
S6E04 Person-Centered vs. Variable-Centered Analysis Read More »
