Why Measurement Matters
In the social, behavioral, and health sciences, we rarely observe the constructs we care about directly. Critically important constructs such as depression, quality of life, belonging, reading ability, self-efficacy, stress, prejudice, executive functioning, political trust, and family climate do not come with convenient rulers attached to them. Instead, we infer their existence based upon observed item responses, task performance, ratings,...
What Makes Us Unique: A Message from Dan & Patrick
Welcome. Dan Bauer and Patrick Curran here. We are the founders of CenterStat, and we want to take a few minutes to briefly describe to you our unique strengths as a provider of quantitative and qualitative methods training. As you have undoubtedly noticed, an ever-increasing number of online businesses will happily take your money in exchange for training in statistics,...
Understanding the Bootstrap
In modern research, one of the most fundamental challenges is uncertainty. Whenever we collect data, whether from surveys, experiments, or observational studies, we want to make claims not only about the specific sample we observe but about the broader population it represents. Doing this requires tools for statistical inference, and central to inference is the concept of a sampling distribution....
Discover the Power of Qualitative Research
CenterStat Launches Four New Applied Workshops In a world overflowing with data, it’s easy to assume that numbers tell the whole story. But while quantitative data can show what is happening, it rarely explains why. That’s where qualitative research comes in—offering the rich, nuanced insights needed to truly understand human behavior, decision-making, and the social and cultural contexts that shape...
Why CenterStat is the Best Choice for Online Statistics Training
In today’s data-driven world, statistics isn’t just a tool: it’s a necessity. Whether you’re a researcher, graduate student, data analyst, or academic professional, high-quality statistical training can dramatically advance your skills, open doors to new opportunities, and make stronger scientific contributions to society. But with countless online providers offering statistics workshops and courses, how can you decide which one is...
How CenterStat Workshops Empower Researchers at Every Level
In the ever-evolving world of scientific research, having the right analytical tools—and the confidence to use them—is essential. At CenterStat, we understand that researchers face complex questions that demand rigorous methods and practical, real-world applications. That’s why our workshops are designed not just to educate, but to empower. Whether you're a graduate student stepping into your first research project or...
What is a suppressor variable, and how does this differ from confounding and mediation?
A constant source of confusion within the multiple regression model (and the general linear model more broadly) relates to the terms suppression and suppressor variable. Indeed, it is not uncommon to see suppression invoked anytime some unanticipated or inexplicable finding is obtained that must be explained away. This is particularly evident when a strongly hypothesized relation is not found: The...
What are ROC curves and how are these used to aid decision making?
One of the most vexing challenges in all of statistics is the need to make a valid and reliable probabilistic assessment about some unknown condition or state of affairs based solely on information gathered from sample data. Indeed, this is the foundation of traditional null hypothesis testing: there is some unknown condition in the population (the null hypothesis is either...
What exactly qualifies as intensive longitudinal data and why am I not able to use more traditional growth models to study stability and change over time?
Recent years have seen increasing interest in the collection and analysis of intensive longitudinal data (or ILD) to generate unique insights into within-person processes and change over time. In this post, we first define ILD by contrasting it to data obtained from other common longitudinal designs. Next, we consider the distinct features of ILD that we must address and can...
In their blog, Dan and Patrick respond to commonly asked questions about a variety of topics behavioral, educational, and health research including experimental design, measurement, data analysis, and interpretation of findings. The responses are intentionally brief and concise (sort of), and additional resources are provided such as recommended readings, provision of exemplar data and computer code, or links to other potential learning materials. Readers are welcome to submit questions for future responses.