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Member Training: Confusing Statistical Terms

February 28th, 2020 by

Learning statistics is difficult enough; throw in some especially confusing terminology and it can feel impossible! There are many ways that statistical language can be confusing.

Some terms mean one thing in the English language, but have another (usually more specific) meaning in statistics.  (more…)


Member Training: A Gentle Introduction to Multilevel Models

January 31st, 2020 by

In this Stat’s Amore Training, Marc Diener will help you make sense of the strange terms and symbols that you find in studies that use multilevel modeling (MLM). You’ll learn about the basic ideas behind MLM, different MLM models, and a close look at one particular model, known as the random intercept model. A running example will be used to clarify the ideas and the meaning of the MLM results.

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Member Training: How to Avoid Common Graphical Mistakes

December 1st, 2019 by

Good graphs are extremely powerful tools for communicating quantitative information clearly and accurately.

Unfortunately, many of the graphs we see today confuse, mislead, or deceive the reader.

These poor graphs result from two key limitations. One is a graph designer who isn’t familiar with the principles of effective graphs. The other is software with a poor choice of default settings.

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Member Training: Practical Advice for Establishing Reliability and Validity

October 30th, 2019 by

How do you know your variables are measuring what you think they are? And how do you know they’re doing it well?

A key part of answering these questions is establishing reliability and validity of the measurements that you use in your research study. But the process of establishing reliability and validity is confusing. There are a dizzying number of choices available to you.

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Member Training: Interpretation of Effect Size Statistics

August 30th, 2019 by

Effect size statistics are required by most journals and committees these days ⁠— for good reason. 

They communicate just how big the effects are in your statistical results ⁠— something p-values can’t do.

But they’re only useful if you can choose the most appropriate one and if you can interpret it.

This can be hard in even simple statistical tests. But once you get into  complicated models, it’s a whole new story. (more…)


Member Training: A Predictive Modeling Primer: Regression and Beyond

May 31st, 2019 by

Predicting future outcomes, the next steps in a process, or the best choice(s) from an array of possibilities are all essential needs in many fields. The predictive model is used as a decision making tool in advertising and marketing, meteorology, economics, insurance, health care, engineering, and would probably be useful in your work too! (more…)