Tag Archives: samples

Regression Fantasies

Posted on July 15, 2016 by statswithcats

Common Reasons for Doubting a Regression Model Finding a model that fits a set of data is one of the most common goals in data analysis. Least squares regression is the most commonly used tool for achieving this goal. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

The Foundation of Professional Graphs

Posted on August 18, 2012 by statswithcats

Some people are content with visualizing their data sets using pie charts and bar charts. If you really want to analyze data, though, you need to know how to pick the best graph for the job. Here’s the first step … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Five Things You Should Know Before Taking Statistics 101

Posted on May 15, 2011 by statswithcats

Of the over two million college degrees that are granted in the U.S. every year, including those earned at accredited online colleges nationwide, probably two-thirds require completion of a statistics class. That’s over a million and a half students taking … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Polls Apart

Posted on May 8, 2011 by statswithcats

Election season is fast approaching so you can be sure a plethora of polls will soon be adding to the mayhem. Polls educate us in two ways. They tell us what we, or at least the population being polled, think. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Regression Fantasies: Part III

Posted on May 2, 2011 by statswithcats

Is Your Regression Model Telling the Truth? There are many technologies we use in our lives without really understanding how they work. Television. Computers. Cell phones. Microwave ovens. Cars. Even many things about the human body are not well understood. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Regression Fantasies: Part I

Posted on April 18, 2011 by statswithcats

Five Common Reasons for Doubting a Regression Model Finding a model that fits a set of data is one of the most common goals in data analysis. Least squares regression is the most commonly used tool for achieving this goal. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Aphorisms for Data Analysts

Posted on April 10, 2011 by statswithcats

An aphorism is a pithy saying that reveals some astute observation or popular notion, whether true or fictitious. “Lies, damn lies, and statistics” you’ve undoubtedly heard. If you’ve taken Stats 101, you probably know that “correlation doesn’t imply causation.” Here … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s All Relative

Posted on March 20, 2011 by statswithcats

It’s easy to quote someone out of context to impart a false impression. A movie critic might write a review saying, “This film is a delight compared to a colonoscopy” only to be quoted as saying, “This film is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Six Misconceptions about Statistics You May Get From Stats 101

Posted on February 20, 2011 by statswithcats

When you learn new things, you can develop misconceptions. Maybe it’s the result of something you didn’t understand correctly. Maybe it’s the way the instructor explains something. Or maybe, it’s something unspoken, something you assume or infer from what was … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Dealing with Dilemmas

Posted on February 6, 2011 by statswithcats

A decade or so ago, I always feared and was the frequent victim of hardware and software problems. It was a logical consequence of a craftsman routinely pushing his tools way beyond the limits of their capabilities. But the software … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments