Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Ianova: Multi-Sample Means Comparisons For Imprecise Interval Data, Zachary Rios

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In recent years, interval data has become an increasingly popular tool to solve modern data problems. Intervals are now often used for dimensionality reduction, data aggregation, privacy censorship, and quantifying awareness of various uncertainties. Among many statistical methods that are being studied and developed for interval data, the significance test is particularly of importance due to its fundamental value both in theory and practice. The difficulty in developing such tests mainly lies in the fact that the concept of normality does not extend naturally to interval data (due the range of an interval being necessarily non-negative), causing the exact tests …

Using Gamification To Foster Student Resilience And Motivation To Learn, And Using Games To Teach Significance Testing Concepts In The Statistics Classroom, Todd Partridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Two studies are outlined in this dissertation.

In the first study, elements of Super Mario Bros. videos games were used to change the way college students in a beginners’ statistics course were graded on their work. This was part of an effort to help students remain optimistic in the face of challenging coursework and even failure on assignments and tests. The study shows that the changes made to the grading structure did help students to keep trying and to use the materials given to them by their professor until they achieved their desired grade in the course, and suggests ways …

A Bootstrap Test For Informative Intra-Cluster Group Sizes In Clustered Data, Hasika K. Wickrama Senevirathne, Sandipan Dutta

College of Sciences Posters

Clustered data are frequently observed in various domains of scientific and social studies. In a typical clustered data, units within a cluster are correlated while units between different clusters are independent. An example of such clustered data can be found in dental studies where individuals are treated as clusters and the teeth in an individual are the units within a cluster. While analyzing such clustered data, it has been observed that the number of units present in a cluster can be informative in terms of being associated with the outcome from that cluster. Specifically, when the aim is to compare …

Differential Privacy For Regression Modeling In Health: An Evaluation Of Algorithms, Joseph Ficek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: There is a need for rigorous and standardized methods of privacy protection for shared data in the health sciences. Differential privacy is one such method that has gained much popularity due to its versatility and robustness. This study evaluates differential privacy for explanatory regression modeling in the context of health research.

Methods: Surveyed and newly proposed algorithms were evaluated with respect to the accuracy (bias and RMSE) of coefficient estimates, the empirical coverage probability of confidence intervals, and the power and type I error rates of hypothesis tests. Evaluations took place in both simulated and real data from a …

Using Covid-19 Vaccine Efficacy Data To Teach One-Sample Hypothesis Testing, Frank Wang

Numeracy

In late November 2020, there was a flurry of media coverage of two companies’ claims of 95% efficacy rates of newly developed COVID-19 vaccines, but information about the confidence interval was not reported. This paper presents a way of teaching the concept of hypothesis testing and the construction of confidence intervals using numbers announced by the drug makers Pfizer and Moderna publicized by the media. Instead of a two-sample test or more complicated statistical models, we use the elementary one-proportion z-test to analyze the data. The method is designed to be accessible for students who have only taken a …

Jmasm 52: Extremely Efficient Permutation And Bootstrap Hypothesis Tests Using R, Christina Chatzipantsiou, Marios Dimitriadis, Manos Papadakis, Michail Tsagris

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Re-sampling based statistical tests are known to be computationally heavy, but reliable when small sample sizes are available. Despite their nice theoretical properties not much effort has been put to make them efficient. Computationally efficient method for calculating permutation-based p-values for the Pearson correlation coefficient and two independent samples t-test are proposed. The method is general and can be applied to other similar two sample mean or two mean vectors cases.

Using Neural Networks To Classify Discrete Circular Probability Distributions, Madelyn Gaumer

HMC Senior Theses

Given the rise in the application of neural networks to all sorts of interesting problems, it seems natural to apply them to statistical tests. This senior thesis studies whether neural networks built to classify discrete circular probability distributions can outperform a class of well-known statistical tests for uniformity for discrete circular data that includes the Rayleigh Test¹, the Watson Test², and the Ajne Test³. Each neural network used is relatively small with no more than 3 layers: an input layer taking in discrete data sets on a circle, a hidden layer, and an output …

Bayesian Analysis For The Intraclass Model And For The Quantile Semiparametric Mixed-Effects Double Regression Models, Duo Zhang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation consists of three distinct but related research projects. The first two projects focus on objective Bayesian hypothesis testing and estimation for the intraclass correlation coefficient in linear models. The third project deals with Bayesian quantile inference for the semiparametric mixed-effects double regression models. In the first project, we derive the Bayes factors based on the divergence-based priors for testing the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The hypothesis testing of the ICC is used to test the uncorrelatedness in multilevel modeling, and it has not well been studied from an objective Bayesian perspective. Simulation results show that the two sorts …

Statistical Tools For Assessment Of Spatial Properties Of Mutations Observed Under The Microarray Platform, Bin Luo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mutations are alterations of the DNA nucleotide sequence of the genome. Analyses of spatial properties of mutations are critical for understanding certain mutational mechanisms relevant to genetic disease, diversity, and evolution. The studies in this thesis focus on two types of mutations: point mutations, i.e., single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype differences, and mutations in segments, i.e., copy number variations (CNVs). The microarray platform, such as the Mouse Diversity Genotyping Array (MDGA), detects these mutations genome-wide with lower cost compared to whole genome sequencing, and thus is considered for suitability as a screening tool for large populations. Yet it provides observation …

Quantifying Certainty: The P-Value, Dominic Klyve

Statistics and Probability

No abstract provided.

Some Remarks On Rao And Lovric’S ‘Testing Point Null Hypothesis Of A Normal Mean And The Truth: 21st Century Perspective’, Bruno D. Zumbo, Edward Kroc

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Although we have much to agree with in Rao and Lovric’s important discussion of the test of point null hypotheses, it stirred us to provide a way out of their apparent Zero probability paradox and cast the Hodges-Lehmann paradigm from a Serlin-Lapsley approach. We close our remarks with an eye toward a broad perspective.

Testing Gene-Environment Interactions In The Presence Of Measurement Error, Chongzhi Di, Li Hsu, Charles Kooperberg, Alex Reiner, Ross Prentice

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Complex diseases result from an interplay between genetic and environmental risk factors, and it is of great interest to study the gene-environment interaction (GxE) to understand the etiology of complex diseases. Recent developments in genetics field allows one to study GxE systematically. However, one difficulty with GxE arises from the fact that environmental exposures are often measured with error. In this paper, we focus on testing GxE when the environmental exposure E is subject to measurement error. Surprisingly, contrast to the well-established results that the naive test ignoring measurement error is valid in testing the main effects, we find that …

Objective Bayesian Hypothesis Testing And Estimation For The Risk Ratio In A Correlated 2x2 Table With Structural Zero, Xiaohua Bai

All Theses

We illustrate the construction of an objective Bayesian hypothesis testing and point estimation for the risk ratio in a correlated 2x2 table with structural zero. We solve the problem using Bayesian method through the reference prior, and corresponding posterior distribution of the risk ratio can be derived. Then combined the intrinsic discrepancy, an invariant inforamtion-based loss function, provides an integrated objective Bayesian solution to both hypothesis testing and point estimation problems.

Soft Null Hypotheses: A Case Study Of Image Enhancement Detection In Brain Lesions, Haochang Shou, Russell T. Shinohara, Han Liu, Daniel Reich, Ciprian Crainiceanu

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

This work is motivated by a study of a population of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to identify active brain lesions. At each visit, a contrast agent is administered intravenously to a subject and a series of images is acquired to reveal the location and activity of MS lesions within the brain. Our goal is to identify and quantify lesion enhancement location at the subject level and lesion enhancement patterns at the population level. With this example, we aim to address the difficult problem of transforming a qualitative scientific null hypothesis, such as "this …

A Monte Carlo Simulation Of The Robust Rank-Order Test Under Various Population Symmetry Conditions, William T. Mickelson

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

The Type I Error Rate of the Robust Rank Order test under various population symmetry conditions is explored through Monte Carlo simulation. Findings indicate the test has difficulty controlling Type I error under generalized Behrens-Fisher conditions for moderately sized samples.

Sharpening The Boundaries Of The Sequential Probability Ratio Test, Elizabeth Krantz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this thesis, we present an introduction to Wald’s Sequential Probability Ratio Test (SPRT) for binary outcomes. Previous researchers have investigated ways to modify the stopping boundaries that reduce the expected sample size for the test. In this research, we investigate ways to further improve these boundaries. For a given maximum allowable sample size, we develop a method intended to generate all possible sets of boundaries. We then find the one set of boundaries that minimizes the maximum expected sample size while still preserving the nominal error rates. Once the satisfying boundaries have been created, we present the results of …

Follow-Up Testing In Functional Anova, Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya, Mark C. Greenwood

Olga A. Vsevolozhskaya

Functional analysis of variance involves testing for differences in functional means across k groups in n functional responses. If a significant overall difference in the mean curves is detected, one may want to identify the location of these differences. Two different follow-up testing methods are discussed and contrasted. A point-wise test proposed by Cox and Lee (2008) is compared to a test based on regions of the functional domain. The methods are contrasted in terms of weak control of the family-wise error rate, strong control of the family-wise error rate, and power.

The Not-So-Quiet Revolution: Cautionary Comments On The Rejection Of Hypothesis Testing In Favor Of A “Causal” Modeling Alternative, Daniel H. Robinson, Joel R. Levin

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Rodgers (2010) recently applauded a revolution involving the increased use of statistical modeling techniques. It is argued that such use may have a downside, citing empirical evidence in educational psychology that modeling techniques are often applied in cross-sectional, correlational studies to produce unjustified causal conclusions and prescriptive statements.

A New Approximate Bayesian Approach For Decision Making About The Variance Of A Gaussian Distribution Versus The Classical Approach, Vincent A. R. Camara

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Rules of decision-making about the variance of a Gaussian distribution are obtained and compared. Considering the square error loss function, an approximate Bayesian decision rule for the variance of a normal population is derived. Using normal data and SAS software, the obtained approximate Bayesian test results were compared to their counterparts obtained with the well-known classical decision rule. It is shown that the proposed approximate Bayesian decision rule relies only on observations. The classical decision rule, which uses the Chi-square statistic, does not always yield the best results: the proposed approach often performs better.

Statistical Tests, Tests Of Significance, And Tests Of A Hypothesis Using Excel, David A. Heiser

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Microsoft’s spreadsheet program Excel has many statistical functions and routines. Over the years there have been criticisms about the inaccuracies of these functions and routines (see McCullough 1998, 1999). This article reviews some of these statistical methods used to test for differences between two samples. In practice, the analysis is done by a software program and often with the actual method used unknown. The user has to select the method and variations to be used, without full knowledge of just what calculations are used. Usually there is no convenient trace back to textbook explanations. This article describes the Excel algorithm …

The False Discovery Rate: A Variable Selection Perspective, Debashis Ghosh, Wei Chen, Trivellore E. Raghuanthan

The University of Michigan Department of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

In many scientific and medical settings, large-scale experiments are generating large quantities of data that lead to inferential problems involving multiple hypotheses. This has led to recent tremendous interest in statistical methods regarding the false discovery rate (FDR). Several authors have studied the properties involving FDR in a univariate mixture model setting. In this article, we turn the problem on its side; in this manuscript, we show that FDR is a by-product of Bayesian analysis of variable selection problem for a hierarchical linear regression model. This equivalence gives many Bayesian insights as to why FDR is a natural quantity to …

Deconstructing Arguments From The Case Against Hypothesis Testing, Shlomo S. Sawilowsky

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

The main purpose of this article is to contest the propositions that (1) hypothesis tests should be abandoned in favor of confidence intervals, and (2) science has not benefited from hypothesis testing. The minor purpose is to propose (1) descriptive statistics, graphics, and effect sizes do not obviate the need for hypothesis testing, (2) significance testing (reporting p values and leaving it to the reader to determine significance) is subjective and outside the realm of the scientific method, and (3) Bayesian and qualitative methods should be used for Bayesian and qualitative research studies, respectively.

The Trouble With Interpreting Statistically Nonsignificant Effect Sizes In Single-Study Investigations, Joel R. Levin, Daniel H. Robinson

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

In this commentary, we offer a perspective on the problem of authors reporting and interpreting effect sizes in the absence of formal statistical tests of their chanceness. The perspective reinforces our previous distinction between single-study investigations and multiple-study syntheses.

Two-Sided Equivalence Testing Of The Difference Between Two Means, R. Clifford Blair, Stephen R. Cole

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Studies designed to examine the equivalence of treatments are increasingly common in social and biomedical research. Herein, we outline the rationale and some nuances underlying equivalence testing of the difference between two means. Specifically, we note the odd relation between tests of hypothesis and confidence intervals in the equivalence setting.

Specific Hypotheses In Linear Models And Their Power Function In Unbalanced Data, Seyed Mohtaba Taheri

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A hypothesis is a statement or claim about the state of nature. Scientific investigators, market researchers, governmental decision makers, among others, will often have hypotheses about the particular facet of nature, hypotheses that need verification or rejection, for one purpose or another. Statisticians concerned with testing hypotheses using unbalanced data on the basis of linear models have talked about the difficulties involved for many years but, probably because the problems are not easily resolved, there is yet no satisfactory solution to these problems

A New Confidence Interval For The Mean Of A Normal Distribution, David Lee Wallace

All Master's Theses

A typical problem in statistical inference is the following: An experimenter is confronted with a density function f(x; ϴ) which describes the underlying population of measurements. The form of f may or may not be known, and ϴ is a parameter (possibly vector-valued) which describes the population. The statistician's job is to estimate or to test hypotheses about the unknown parameter ϴ. In this paper, we shall consider interval estimation of the mean of the normal density function.