In this week's episode Greg and Patrick talk about Simpson’s Paradox: what it is, examples of where it occurs in real life, and why we might not really need to think about it as a paradox at all. Along the way they also discuss Apple Vision, The Simpsons predicting the future, sitting too close to the TV, low levels of radiation, Paul the octopus, Blinky, shtuff, duck duck duck, Jonathan the tortoise, batting averages, bad at fractions, Cal Berkeley admissions, GDP and happiness, exercise and he...
Feb 20, 2024•34 min
In this week's episode Greg and Patrick take a walk down memory lane to rediscover classical test theory, although they revisit this through the lens of modern latent variable models. They describe how these classical methods are actually highly restricted latent measurement models and they explore how these restrictions can be relaxed and even tested. Along the way they also discuss weird dates, free Tupperware, yellow fatty beans, advice cookies, in bed, scalloped tiles, scales at NASA, import...
Feb 06, 2024•50 min•Season 5Ep. 15
In this week's episode Patrick and Greg launch a new occasional series called Stuff You Should Know. The topic for today is regression to the mean: what the heck is it, how does it arise in every day life, and what can we do about it. Along the way they also discuss the space-time continuum, Kai Ryssdal, inflation, witches of MacBeth, the hidden curriculum, oh dang, sh*t (ummm...STUFF) you should know, SAT prep courses, the triumph of mediocrity, angstroms, blobs. reinventing history, and being ...
Jan 30, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 14
In this week's episode Greg and Patrick talk about confidence intervals: symmetric and asymmetric, asymptotic and bootstrapped, how to interpret them, and how not to interpret them. Along the way they also mention tire pressure gauge mysteries, conference travel reimbursement, phases of the moon, gyroscopic effects, baseball walk-of-shame, why people hate us, settling out of court, confidence tricks, Mack JcArdle, Shakespearean means, lipstick on a pig, the cat rating scale, the Miller's Tale, h...
Jan 23, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 13
In this week's episode Patrick and Greg have great fun talking about meta-analysis with Paschal Sheeran, a social psychologist from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He describes what meta-analysis is, what it offers, and how to apply it in your own work. Along the way they also discuss taking off into the north vs the south, flipping people off, being subtle, metaphysics, say my name, most effective tactic available, fleeing Ireland, struggling to fit in, falling off a bus, takin...
Jan 16, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 12
In this week's episode, marking the fifth Quantitude Holiday Celebration, Greg and Patrick argue about their favorite holiday movies, including whether Die Hard counts as one or not; they then proceed to discuss several statistical ideas that also seem to Die Hard. Along the way they talk about so much gibberish that we don't even bother listing it here. Stay in contact with Quantitude! Web page: quantitudepod.org TwitterX: @quantitudepod YouTube: @quantitudepod Merch: redbubble.com...
Dec 12, 2023•44 min•Season 5Ep. 11
In this week's episode Greg and Patrick explore alternative parameterizations of the SEM-based latent curve model to capture various forms of nonlinearity, some that are approximations and others that are exact. Along the way they also discuss Swifties, remastering your life, bull testicles, the world's worst RA job, Yerkes-Dodson law, show a little ankle, the St. Louis Arch, bachelorette parties, deck screws, DIY-ing a model, being a little too quiet, complete nonsense, blasting your pecs, hate...
Dec 05, 2023•50 min•Season 5Ep. 10
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
