Understanding Inference
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Economic Analysis of Optimal Sample Size in Legal Proceedings
International Journal of Statistics and Probability; Vol. 8, No. 4; July 2019 ISSN 1927-7032 E-ISSN 1927-7040 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Economic Analysis of Optimal Sample Size in Legal Proceedings Aren Megerdichian Correspondence: Aren Megerdichian, Compass Lexecon, 55 S. Lake Avenue, Ste 650, Pasadena CA 91101, United States. E-mail: [email protected] Received: May 6, 2019 Accepted: June 4, 2019 Online Published: June 11, 2019 doi:10.5539/ijsp.v8n4p13 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijsp.v8n4p13 Abstract In many legal settings, a statistical sample can be an effective surrogate for a larger population when adjudicating questions of causation, liability, or damages. The current paper works through salient aspects of statistical sampling and sample size determination in legal proceedings. An economic model is developed to provide insight into the behavioral decision-making about sample size choice by a party that intends to offer statistical evidence to the court. The optimal sample size is defined to be the sample size that maximizes the expected payoff of the legal case to the party conducting the analysis. Assuming a probability model that describes a hypothetical court’s likelihood of accepting statistical evidence based on the sample size, the optimal sample size is reached at a point where the increase in the probability of the court accepting the sample from a unit increase in the chosen sample size, multiplied by the payoff from winning the case, is equal to the marginal cost of increasing the sample size. Keywords: cost-benefit analysis, economic model, legal proceeding, sample size, sampling 1. -
Survey Experiments
IU Workshop in Methods – 2019 Survey Experiments Testing Causality in Diverse Samples Trenton D. Mize Department of Sociology & Advanced Methodologies (AMAP) Purdue University Survey Experiments Page 1 Survey Experiments Page 2 Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Overview .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8 What is a survey experiment? .................................................................................................................................... 9 What is an experiment?.............................................................................................................................................. 10 Independent and dependent variables ................................................................................................................. 11 Experimental Conditions ............................................................................................................................................. 12 WHY CONDUCT A SURVEY EXPERIMENT? ........................................................................................................................... 13 Internal, external, and construct validity .......................................................................................................... -
Analysis of Variance and Analysis of Variance and Design of Experiments of Experiments-I
Analysis of Variance and Design of Experimentseriments--II MODULE ––IVIV LECTURE - 19 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS AND THEIR ANALYSIS Dr. Shalabh Department of Mathematics and Statistics Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur 2 Design of experiment means how to design an experiment in the sense that how the observations or measurements should be obtained to answer a qqyuery inavalid, efficient and economical way. The desigggning of experiment and the analysis of obtained data are inseparable. If the experiment is designed properly keeping in mind the question, then the data generated is valid and proper analysis of data provides the valid statistical inferences. If the experiment is not well designed, the validity of the statistical inferences is questionable and may be invalid. It is important to understand first the basic terminologies used in the experimental design. Experimental unit For conducting an experiment, the experimental material is divided into smaller parts and each part is referred to as experimental unit. The experimental unit is randomly assigned to a treatment. The phrase “randomly assigned” is very important in this definition. Experiment A way of getting an answer to a question which the experimenter wants to know. Treatment Different objects or procedures which are to be compared in an experiment are called treatments. Sampling unit The object that is measured in an experiment is called the sampling unit. This may be different from the experimental unit. 3 Factor A factor is a variable defining a categorization. A factor can be fixed or random in nature. • A factor is termed as fixed factor if all the levels of interest are included in the experiment. -
The Politics of Random Assignment: Implementing Studies and Impacting Policy
The Politics of Random Assignment: Implementing Studies and Impacting Policy Judith M. Gueron Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) As the only nonacademic presenting a paper at this conference, I see it as my charge to focus on the challenge of implementing random assignment in the field. I will not spend time arguing for the methodological strengths of social experiments or advocating for more such field trials. Others have done so eloquently.1 But I will make my biases clear. For 25 years, I and many of my MDRC colleagues have fought to implement random assignment in diverse arenas and to show that this approach is feasible, ethical, uniquely convincing, and superior for answering certain questions. Our organization is widely credited with being one of the pioneers of this approach, and through its use producing results that are trusted across the political spectrum and that have made a powerful difference in social policy and research practice. So, I am a believer, but not, I hope, a blind one. I do not think that random assignment is a panacea or that it can address all the critical policy questions, or substitute for other types of analysis, or is always appropriate. But I do believe that it offers unique power in answering the “Does it make a difference?” question. With random assignment, you can know something with much greater certainty and, as a result, can more confidently separate fact from advocacy. This paper focuses on implementing experiments. In laying out the ingredients of success, I argue that creative and flexible research design skills are essential, but that just as important are operational and political skills, applied both to marketing the experiment in the first place and to helping interpret and promote its findings down the line. -
8.3 Estimating Population Proportions ! We Use the Sample Proportion P ˆ As Our Estimate of the Population Proportion P
8.3 Estimating Population Proportions ! We use the sample proportion p ˆ as our estimate of the population proportion p. ! We should report some kind of ‘confidence’ about our estimate. Do we think it’s pretty accurate? Or not so accurate. ! What sample size n do we need for a given level of confidence about our estimate. " Larger n coincides with better estimate. 1 Recall: Sampling Distribution of p ˆ ! Shape: Approximately Normal ! Center: The mean is p. ! Spread: The standard deviation is p(1− p) n 2 95% Confidence Interval (CI) for a Population Proportion p ! The margin of error (MOE) for the 95% CI for p is pˆ(1− pˆ) MOE = E ≈ 2 n where p ˆ is the sample proportion. That is, the 95% confidence interval ranges from ( p ˆ – margin of error) to ( p ˆ + margin of error). 3 95% Confidence Interval (CI) for a Population Proportion p ! We can write this confidence interval more formally as pˆ − E < p < pˆ + E Or more briefly as pˆ ± E 4 Example ! Population: Registered voters in the U.S. ! Parameter: Proportion of U.S. voters who are concerned about the spread of bird flu in the United States. Unknown! 5 Example ! Sample: 900 randomly selected registered voters nationwide. FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll, Oct. 11-12, 2005. ! Statistic: 63% of the sample are somewhat or very concerned about the spread of bird flu in the United States. 6 Confidence Interval for p ! We are 95% confident that p will fall between pˆ(1− pˆ) pˆ(1− pˆ) pˆ − 2 and pˆ + 2 n n MOE MOE 7 Example Best guess for p. -
Key Items to Get Right When Conducting Randomized Controlled Trials of Social Programs
Key Items to Get Right When Conducting Randomized Controlled Trials of Social Programs February 2016 This publication was produced by the Evidence-Based Policy team of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (now Arnold Ventures). This publication is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part for educational purposes is granted. We welcome comments and suggestions on this document ([email protected]). 1 Purpose This is a checklist of key items to get right when conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate a social program or practice. The checklist is designed to be a practical resource for researchers and sponsors of research. It describes items that are critical to the success of an RCT in producing valid findings about a social program’s effectiveness. This document is limited to key items, and does not address all contingencies that may affect a study’s success.1 Items in this checklist are categorized according to the following phases of an RCT: 1. Planning the study; 2. Carrying out random assignment; 3. Measuring outcomes for the study sample; and 4. Analyzing the study results. 1. Key items to get right in planning the study Choose (i) the program to be evaluated, (ii) target population for the study, and (iii) key outcomes to be measured. These should include, wherever possible, ultimate outcomes of policy importance. As illustrative examples: . An RCT of a pregnancy prevention program preferably should measure outcomes such as pregnancies or births, and not just intermediate outcomes such as condom use. An RCT of a remedial reading program preferably should measure outcomes such as reading comprehension, and not just participants’ ability to sound out words. -
Chapter 5 Experiments, Good And
Chapter 5 Experiments, Good and Bad Point of both observational studies and designed experiments is to identify variable or set of variables, called explanatory variables, which are thought to predict outcome or response variable. Confounding between explanatory variables occurs when two or more explanatory variables are not separated and so it is not clear how much each explanatory variable contributes in prediction of response variable. Lurking variable is explanatory variable not considered in study but confounded with one or more explanatory variables in study. Confounding with lurking variables effectively reduced in randomized comparative experiments where subjects are assigned to treatments at random. Confounding with a (only one at a time) lurking variable reduced in observational studies by controlling for it by comparing matched groups. Consequently, experiments much more effec- tive than observed studies at detecting which explanatory variables cause differences in response. In both cases, statistically significant observed differences in average responses implies differences are \real", did not occur by chance alone. Exercise 5.1 (Experiments, Good and Bad) 1. Randomized comparative experiment: effect of temperature on mice rate of oxy- gen consumption. For example, mice rate of oxygen consumption 10.3 mL/sec when subjected to 10o F. temperature (Fo) 0 10 20 30 ROC (mL/sec) 9.7 10.3 11.2 14.0 (a) Explanatory variable considered in study is (choose one) i. temperature ii. rate of oxygen consumption iii. mice iv. mouse weight 25 26 Chapter 5. Experiments, Good and Bad (ATTENDANCE 3) (b) Response is (choose one) i. temperature ii. rate of oxygen consumption iii. -
Solutions to Homework 3 Statistics 302 Professor Larget
Solutions to Homework 3 Statistics 302 Professor Larget Textbook Exercises 3.20 Customized Home Pages A random sample of n = 1675 Internet users in the US in January 2010 found that 469 of them have customized their web browser's home page to include news from sources and on topics that particularly interest them. State the population and param- eter of interest. Use the information from the sample to give the best estimate of the population parameter. What would we have to do to calculate the value of the parameter exactly? Solution The population is all internet users in the US. The population parameter of interest is p, the propor- tion of internet users who have customized their home page. For this sample,p ^ = 469=1675 = 0:28. Unless we have additional information, the best point estimate of the population parameter p is p^ = 0:28. To find p exactly, we would have to obtain information about the home page of every internet user in the US, which is unrealistic. 3.24 Average Household Size The latest US Census lists the average household size for all households in the US as 2.61. (A household is all people occupying a housing unit as their primary place of residence.) Figure 3.6 shows possible distributions of means for 1000 samples of household sizes. The scale on the horizontal axis is the same in all four cases. (a) Assume that two of the distributions show results from 1000 random samples, while two others show distributions from a sampling method that is biased. -
8 Statistical Inference 8.1 Estimates for Population Parameters In
8 Statistical Inference 8.1 Estimates for Population Parameters In statistical inference, the main goal is to predict population parameters depending on sample statis- tics. In other words, to predict something about the population based on data obtained from sam- ples. Point Estimate and Interval Estimate There are two types of estimates for population parameters. • Point estimate: A point estimate is a single number that is out \best guess" for the parameter. • Interval estimate: An interval estimate is an interval of numbers within which the parameter value is believed to fall. Ex 1: Let the population parameter under consideration be the mean height of Texas Tech stu- dents. \Depending on sample data, we predict that the mean height of Texas Tech students is 170 cm". This is a point estimate. \Depending on sample data, we predict that the mean height of Texas Tech students is 170 ± 3 cm". i.e. between (167, 173) cm. This is an interval estimate. Point Estimate Vs Interval Estimate • A point estimate does not give us any information as to how accurate our guess could be. i.e. how close the estimate is likely to be to the actual parameter value. • Hence, an interval estimate is more useful as it incorporates a margin of error which helps us to measure the accuracy of the point estimate. Point Estimation The best guess for a population parameter is to use an appropriate sample statistic. • For a population proportion, use the sample proportion • For a population mean, use the sample mean Properties of Point Estimators 1. A good estimator has a sampling distribution that is centered at the population parameter. -
How to Do Random Allocation (Randomization) Jeehyoung Kim, MD, Wonshik Shin, MD
Special Report Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery 2014;6:103-109 • http://dx.doi.org/10.4055/cios.2014.6.1.103 How to Do Random Allocation (Randomization) Jeehyoung Kim, MD, Wonshik Shin, MD Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul Sacred Heart General Hospital, Seoul, Korea Purpose: To explain the concept and procedure of random allocation as used in a randomized controlled study. Methods: We explain the general concept of random allocation and demonstrate how to perform the procedure easily and how to report it in a paper. Keywords: Random allocation, Simple randomization, Block randomization, Stratified randomization Randomized controlled trials (RCT) are known as the best On the other hand, many researchers are still un- method to prove causality in spite of various limitations. familiar with how to do randomization, and it has been Random allocation is a technique that chooses individuals shown that there are problems in many studies with the for treatment groups and control groups entirely by chance accurate performance of the randomization and that some with no regard to the will of researchers or patients’ con- studies are reporting incorrect results. So, we will intro- dition and preference. This allows researchers to control duce the recommended way of using statistical methods all known and unknown factors that may affect results in for a randomized controlled study and show how to report treatment groups and control groups. the results properly. Allocation concealment is a technique used to pre- vent selection bias by concealing the allocation sequence CATEGORIES OF RANDOMIZATION from those assigning participants to intervention groups, until the moment of assignment. -
Random Assignment
7 RANDOM ASSIGNMENT Just as representativeness can be secured by the method of chance . so equivalence may be secured by chance.1distribute —W. A. McCall or LEARNING OBJECTIVES • Understand what random assignment does and how it works. • Produce a valid randomization processpost, for an experiment and describe it. • Critique simple random assignment, blocking, matched pairs, and stratified random assignment. • Explain the importance of counterbalancing. • Describe a Latincopy, square design. ust as the mantra in real estate is “location, location, location,” the motto in experi- Jmental design is “random assignment, random assignment, random assignment.” This notbook has discussed random assignment all throughout. It bears repeating that ran- dom assignment is the single most important thing a researcher can do in an experiment. Everything else pales in comparison to having done this correctly.2 Random assignment is what distinguishes a true experiment from a quasi, natural, or pre-experimental design. In Dochapter 1, experiments were referred to as the gold standard. Without successful random 173 Copyright ©2019 by SAGE Publications, Inc. This work may not be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without express written permission of the publisher. 174 Designing Experiments for the Social Sciences assignment, however, they can quickly become “the bronze standard.”3 This chapter will review some of the advantages of random assignment, discuss the details of how to do it, and explore related issues of counterbalancing. THE PURPOSE OF RANDOM ASSIGNMENT People vary. That is, they are different. Were this not so, there would be no reason to study them. Everyone would be the same, reacting the same way to different teaching techniques, advertisements, health interventions, and political messages. -
Workbook 05-Lab 4- Hypothesis Testing for a Population Proportion
Author: Brenda Gunderson, Ph.D., 2015 License: Unless otherwise noted, this material is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ The University of Michigan Open.Michigan initiative has reviewed this material in accordance with U.S. Copyright Law and have tried to maximize your ability to use, share, and adapt it. The attribution key provides information about how you may share and adapt this material. Copyright holders of content included in this material should contact [email protected] with any questions, corrections, or clarification regarding the use of content. For more information about how to attribute these materials visit: http://open.umich.edu/education/about/terms-of-use. Some materials are used with permission from the copyright holders. You may need to obtain new permission to use those materials for other uses. This includes all content from: Attribution Key For more information see: http:://open.umich.edu/wiki/AttributionPolicy Content the copyright holder, author, or law permits you to use, share and adapt: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike License Public Domain – Self Dedicated: Works that a copyright holder has dedicated to the public domain. Make Your Own Assessment Content Open.Michigan believes can be used, shared, and adapted because it is ineligible for copyright. Public Domain – Ineligible. Works that are ineligible for copyright protection in the U.S. (17 USC §102(b)) *laws in your jurisdiction may differ. Content Open.Michigan has used under a Fair Use determination Fair Use: Use of works that is determined to be Fair consistent with the U.S.