datatotext: a consumer-oriented approach to data analysis
DESCRIPTION
DataToText: A Consumer-Oriented Approach to Data Analysis. David A. Kenny University of Connecticut http://davidakenny.net/doc/aps10.ppt http://davidakenny.net/doc/aps10.doc. Data Analysis for Methodologists. Begin with a hypothesis that is embedded within a statistical model. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
DataToText: A Consumer-Oriented
Approach to Data Analysis
David A. Kenny David A. Kenny
University of ConnecticutUniversity of Connecticut http://davidakenny.net/doc/aps10.ppt
http://davidakenny.net/doc/aps10.doc
Data Analysis for Methodologists
Begin with a hypothesis that is embedded within a statistical model.
Develop a research and measurement design to estimate the parameters of that model.
Gather data; test model assumptions; and estimate the model’s parameters.
Choose the best model.
Data Analysis for Practitioners
What do I have to click in SPSS?
What from my SPSS output do I put where in my results section?
Consumer versus “Industry” Perspective
For data analysis, quantitative psychologists are the “industry” or at least part of the industry.
The spirit of DataToText is an attempt to get us to become more “consumer-oriented.”
DataToText Project Have the researcher tell DataToText
what is the research question.
DataToText performs the requisite analyses.
DataToText gives the results from those analyses:
computer output
a written description
Example 1http://davidakenny.net/moderate.htm
Moderation Analysis
Livi et al.: The effect of Noise Sensitivity (X) on Stress (Y) is moderated by the Need for Cognitive Closure (M)
Moderation Example
SyntaxGives results in words,
tables, and picturesTests assumptionsGives warningsSpecialized output
How Positively the Wife Sees the Husband
Wife Satisfaction
Example 2
Husband Satisfaction
Actor Wife
Actor Husband
Partner HusbandPartn
er
Wife
How Positively the Wife Sees the
Husband
http://davidakenny.net/ddt/apimd.htm
Syntax Picture
Specialized Output
Advantages and Disadvantages
DataToText is Mindless!
Thought and intelligence is needed for:
What analysis to do
The execution of the analysis
The interpretation of the analysis
High school student Jenna Smith randomly throwing variables into the macro.
Researcher Brad Anderson not knowing anything about
testing moderation.
Definitely bad, probably terrible.
However, it might be better than what would have otherwise been done.
AdditionallySometimes warnings may alert the user
that the wrong analysis was done.
For example, both macros provide a warning if a dichotomous variable is analyzed.
DataToText is Mindless!
about:
What analysis to do
The execution of the analysis
The interpretation of the analysis
Data Analysis Requires Thought
Not all problems have a flow-chart structure
CFA
ARIMA modeling
However
Some problems have a flow-chart structure (though we might disagree some about that flow-chart).
For many analyses we do have explicit or implicit standards for reporting of results.
Also Keeps everything straight. Avoids errors.
DataToText while it may typically fail to perform the best analysis, it might often create a better analysis than that done by even a skilled data analyst.
Provides warnings.
Makes assumptions explicit and can provide statistical tests of some of them.
Warnings
DataToText issues warnings:
A dichotomous outcome variable
Outliers
Colinearity
Low Power
Assumption Testing Is Like Flossing
Something we know that we should do but do not do as often we should.
DataToText can test certain assumptions
level of measurement
distributional
outliers
DataToText is Mindless!
about:
What analysis to do
The execution of the analysis
The interpretation of the analysis
The Researcher Needs to
Understand the Results Good data analysis is more than doing
the right analysis; the researcher must still understand the meaning of the results.
However Because DataToText provides a verbal
summary of the results, some researchers might better understand their results by using the approach.
Moreover Output produced by DataToText may be
more intelligible to the reader and so although the data analyst may not understand the results, the reader may be able to!
Packages vs. Open Source
Packages
PASW (née SPSS), SAS
Accessible but costly
Updates sometimes without backwards compatibility
Open Source: R
Feedback
Please let me know what you think.
http://davidakenny.net/doc/aps10.ppt
http://davidakenny.net/doc/aps10.doc
Special Thanks to My Lab• Thomas Ledermann• Amanda Snook• Randi Garcia