October 23, 2015
The Interpretation of the Model of Best Fit: A Psychology Data Analysis
It is true that in the world of statistics, you can fit different models to a data set. However, we are always taught to model the data with the model of "best fit". The question is, why? The reason is the model you choose to fit the data is the model scientists and statisticians base their interpretations off of. Therefore, this is in fact, a crucial part to any sort of data analysis. In the data analysis performed this summer, I discovered that the scientist who had previously analyzed the data set, did not choose to model the psychology data with the model of best fit. This then resulted in inaccurate interpretations of the data. Furthermore, during research, my partner and I found alternative models to fit the data, which we sent to the scientist who previously performed the data analysis. This presentation will not only cover the basic ideas behind modeling a data set but it will also include the challenges I faced during my research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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