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Archive for August, 2011

Entering the world of NONPARAMETRIC

Sunday, August 28th, 2011

Oh my, I’ve been working on Chapter 4 statistics and it looks like my data is nonnormal…so will I have to enter the world of NONPARAMETRIC? What dangers lurk in that galaxy? Will I be taken captive and forced to morph into a NONPARAMETRICON?

AARRGGHHHHHH!

I spent so much time working on understanding MANOVA that in all honesty, I have not investigated nonparametric possibilities. However, I have read a number of articles indicating that often data collected “in the wild” turns up as nonparametric rather than parametric. In some of the analyses, it appears dissertations have been completed using parametric when they would have been better suited as nonparametric. Unfortunately, the scenarios and problems completed in stat classes are mostly parametric sprinkled with a few nonparametric models.

It appears as though the Mann-Whitney U will soon become my best friend. SPSS analysis is revealing the same conclusions as my work with MANOVA…it appears there is little (or no) difference in my two groups. This is surprising as I had supposed there were some similarities, but not to this extent.

So next time you see me, I may look a little different; morphing into a NONPARAMETRICON of house Mann-Whitney U is quite painful!

Statistics make my head hurt

Sunday, August 21st, 2011

I have worked almost all weekend on my DM chapter 4, “Findings.” There is so much to consider when doing an analysis. I have some little reminders here on my desk, like “when the p-value is low, the Ho gotta go.” Silly, huh? Just trying to get my mind around the procedures to follow and what the numbers truly mean is quite a task. Right now, my mind is kind of blurry and it is definitely time to set chapter 4 aside.

Statistics make my head hurt!

Kathryn Schulz: On Being Wrong

Sunday, August 7th, 2011

This is a great video – Kathryn Schulz gives an inspiring speach at TED, and reminds us that being wrong is very much part of being human.