In today’s episode Greg and Patrick talk about regularization, which includes ridge, LASSO, and elastic net procedures for variable selection within the general linear model and beyond. Along the way they also mention Bowdlerizing, The Family Shakespeare, disturbance in the force, McNeish on his bike, Spandex, C’mon guys wait up, the altar of unbiasedness, Curranizing, shooting arrows, stepwise goat rodeo, volume knobs, Hancockizing, always angry, getting slapped, betting a chicken, mission from...
Nov 28, 2023•52 min•Season 5Ep. 9
In today’s episode, Greg and Patrick dig into Confirmatory Composite Analysis, a very clever way to get formative factors and their causal indicators into the traditional structural equation modeling framework, along with any other latent factors and their effect indicators that might already be in the model. Along the way they also mention full-contact Wordle, being grounded, spelling bees, state capitals, definitions of leadership, a many ways, rabbit or duck, set of steak knives, canonical co...
Nov 14, 2023•49 min•Season 5Ep. 8
In today’s episode, Patrick and Greg talk about the challenge of having causal indicators of formative factors within an analytical framework that is historically dominated by effect indicators and latent factors — and the critical importance of getting your arrows right. Along the way they also mention: self help books, habits, Hagrid and the giants, When Arrows Attack, The Handbook of SEM, the evil eye factor, defining your terms, the meaning of IS, minority reports, putting your fist through ...
Nov 07, 2023•48 min•Season 5Ep. 7
In today’s episode, Patrick and Greg talk about fun extensions to the basic confirmatory factor model, including higher order models, bifactor or residualized models, and multitrait-multimethod models. Along the way they also mention microscope lab, burning ants, substitute teaching, Cool or Creepy?, Monet, Clueless, haystacks, hotdogs, What are you thinking?, pennies and pounds, party like it’s 1904, potluck freeloaders, lips and a**holes, promiscuous models, and shock absorbers. Stay in contac...
Oct 31, 2023•47 min•Season 5Ep. 6
In this week’s episode Greg and Patrick take advantage of the recent expiration of a statute of limitations that legally allows them to talk about the multilevel model: what it is, when we might use it, and extremely cool extensions that it allows. Along the way they also discuss hostile federal judges, McNeish, airing of grievances, Gauss and Markov’s corpses, Sesame Street, distributional baguettes, naivete, sentient GLMs, two pencil necks, Thor’s Hammer, Willy Sutton, Siren’s Song, peer group...
Oct 17, 2023•56 min•Season 5Ep. 5
In this week's episode Patrick and Greg enlist the help of six quantitative methodological scholars, who share a wide variety of fertile ground for quantitative research, which should be useful for students seeking dissertation topics as well as anyone interested in active methodological areas. Along the way they also mentioned: Kill Bill, The Waltons (with corpses), taking away grandpa's car keys, needing an avocado, Patrick's paygrade, clean-up hitters, unhinged Tweeting, promiscuous models, m...
Oct 10, 2023•50 min•Season 5Ep. 4
In this week's episode Patrick and Greg plumb the depths of what is a dissertation and what purpose does it serve. They are aided in the use of an AI language interpreter to translate old man grousing to positive and supportive advice for students as they discuss the strengths and weaknesses of a dissertation project. Along the way they also mention: pumpkin spice, marching bands, Maximus Decimus Meridius, Hiccup, being like too American, OMG, anger interpreters, patience and self-restraint, the...
Sep 26, 2023•41 min•Season 5Ep. 3
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 a prayer, nanotech R-squareds, opening a suitcase, reinventing fa...
Sep 19, 2023•44 min•Season 5Ep. 2
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 whale petting machine, Embassy Suites, poison ivy and kudzu, sexy Hulk, ...
Sep 12, 2023•53 min•Season 5Ep. 1
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 problem, stars and galaxies, stealing from the hard sciences, ungulat...
May 30, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 25
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 bathroom scales, Spirit Airlines, expecting you to bring wine, crying about ...
May 16, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 24
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 young for the Muppets, grumpy old men, crowbar in the brain, bad maps, Lo...
May 02, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 23
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 features, sucking statistically significantly less, farewell tours, seabirds (w...
Mar 28, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 22
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 cattle, control issues, quieting the Irishmen, oxymorons, selling factor...
Mar 14, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 21
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, outsourcing, John Wick, copy machines, I want a cookie, bad clinical ps...
Mar 07, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 20
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 favorite parent, ATM machines and PIN numbers, and standing in the corner....
Feb 21, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 19
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 Doo Gang, Street Justice Velma, tasteful ascots, chocolate in my peanut butt...
Feb 14, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 18
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 Rage Hulk, frowny-face plots, a barn full of methods, the actual analysis of ...
Feb 07, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 17
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 reaper, Thelma and Louise, making flights on time, intellectual judo, we...
Jan 31, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 16
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 pressure, *real* doctors, I Can’t Drive 55, splash zones, Gallagher, Dilbert...
Jan 24, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 15
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 milestones, love for semicolons, Jack Nicholson, baskets of data, Oprah, i...
Jan 17, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 14
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 accident, shrug emojis, the whale petting machine, baseball and war, ...
Jan 10, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 13
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, names for short, and Giffy. Stay in contact with Quantitude! Web page: qu...
Dec 20, 2022•53 min•Season 4Ep. 12
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, double doink, Brilliant!, cocktail party banter, reaching into your ...
Dec 06, 2022•55 min•Season 4Ep. 11
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, potluck freeloaders, fixing a loading to your home address, and...
Nov 29, 2022•50 min•Season 4Ep. 10
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, Southwest boarding number B14, high school math teacher apologies, open mic night...
Nov 15, 2022•52 min•Season 4Ep. 9
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 didn't have back then. Along the way they also discuss Sean, Not Sean, going to the movies, grumpy old man mode...
Nov 08, 2022•51 min•Season 4Ep. 8
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 story before, recurring nightmares, bending but not breaking, the zeta of teaching, Royale with Cheese, necessary roughness,...
Oct 25, 2022•44 min•Season 4Ep. 7
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 flower shop, laser cannons, chin music, the tail wagging the dog, the Millennium Falcon, Greenday, stupid human tri...
Oct 18, 2022•55 min•Season 4Ep. 6
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 mice, manipulating your advisors, 2nd spouses, MoNoLiFa, Quantitube, rewiring your brain, $1M calculators, and mod mod....
Oct 11, 2022•57 min•Season 4Ep. 5
