New Developments In Categorical Data Analysis For The Social And Behavioral Sciences

Categorical data are quantified as either nominal variables--distinguishing different groups, for example, based on socio-economic status, education, and political persuasion--or ordinal variables--distinguishing levels of interest, such as the preferred politician or the preferred type of punishment for committing burglary. This new book is a collection of up-to-date studies on modern categorical data analysis methods, emphasizing their application to relevant and interesting data sets. This volume concentrates on latent class analysis and item response theory. These methods use latent variables to explain the relationships among observed categorical variables. Latent class analysis yields the classification of a group of respondents according to their pattern of scores on the categorical variables. This provides insight into the mechanisms producing the data and allows the estimation of factor structures and regression models conditional on the latent class structure. Item response theory leads to the identification of one or more ordinal or interval scales. In psychological and educational testing these scales are used for individual measurement of abilities and personality traits. The focus of this volume is applied. After a method is explained, the potential of the method for analyzing categorical data is illustrated by means of a real data example to show how it can be used effectively for solving a real data problem. These methods are accessible to researchers not trained explicitly in applied statistics. This volume appeals to researchers and advanced students in the social and behavioral sciences, including social, developmental, organizational, clinical and health psychologists, sociologists, educational and marketing researchers, and political scientists. In addition, it is of interest to those who collect data on categorical variables and are faced with the problem of how to analyze such variables--among themselves or in relation to metric variables.

Categorical data are quantified as either nominal variables--distinguishing different groups, for example, based on socio-economic status, education, and political persuasion--or ordinal variables--distinguishing levels of interest, such as the preferred politician or the preferred type of punishment for committing burglary. This new book is a collection of up-to-date studies on modern categorical data analysis methods, emphasizing their application to relevant and interesting data sets. This volume concentrates on latent class analysis and item response theory. These methods use latent variables to explain the relationships among observed categorical variables. Latent class analysis yields the classification of a group of respondents according to their pattern of scores on the categorical variables. This provides insight into the mechanisms producing the data and allows the estimation of factor structures and regression models conditional on the latent class structure. Item response theory leads to the identification of one or more ordinal or interval scales. In psychological and educational testing these scales are used for individual measurement of abilities and personality traits. The focus of this volume is applied. After a method is explained, the potential of the method for analyzing categorical data is illustrated by means of a real data example to show how it can be used effectively for solving a real data problem. These methods are accessible to researchers not trained explicitly in applied statistics. This volume appeals to researchers and advanced students in the social and behavioral sciences, including social, developmental, organizational, clinical and health psychologists, sociologists, educational and marketing researchers, and political scientists. In addition, it is of interest to those who collect data on categorical variables and are faced with the problem of how to analyze such variables--among themselves or in relation to metric variables.

Featuring a practical approach with numerous examples, the second edition of Categorical Data Analysis for the Behavioral and Social Sciences focuses on helping the reader develop a conceptual understanding of categorical methods, making it a much more accessible text than others on the market. The authors cover common categorical analysis methods and emphasize specific research questions that can be addressed by each analytic procedure, including how to obtain results using SPSS, SAS, and R, so that readers are able to address the research questions they wish to answer. Each chapter begins with a "Look Ahead" section to highlight key content. This is followed by an in-depth focus and explanation of the relationship between the initial research question, the use of software to perform the analyses, and how to interpret the output substantively. Included at the end of each chapter are a range of software examples and questions to test knowledge. New to the second edition: The addition of R syntax for all analyses and an update of SPSS and SAS syntax. The addition of a new chapter on GLMMs. Clarification of concepts and ideas that graduate students found confusing, including revised problems at the end of the chapters. Written for those without an extensive mathematical background, this book is ideal for a graduate course in categorical data analysis taught in departments of psychology, educational psychology, human development and family studies, sociology, public health, and business. Researchers in these disciplines interested in applying these procedures will also appreciate this book’s accessible approach.

Featuring a practical approach with numerous examples, the second edition of Categorical Data Analysis for the Behavioral and Social Sciences focuses on helping the reader develop a conceptual understanding of categorical methods, making it a much more accessible text than others on the market. The authors cover common categorical analysis methods and emphasize specific research questions that can be addressed by each analytic procedure, including how to obtain results using SPSS, SAS, and R, so that readers are able to address the research questions they wish to answer. Each chapter begins with a "Look Ahead" section to highlight key content. This is followed by an in-depth focus and explanation of the relationship between the initial research question, the use of software to perform the analyses, and how to interpret the output substantively. Included at the end of each chapter are a range of software examples and questions to test knowledge. New to the second edition: The addition of R syntax for all analyses and an update of SPSS and SAS syntax. The addition of a new chapter on GLMMs. Clarification of concepts and ideas that graduate students found confusing, including revised problems at the end of the chapters. Written for those without an extensive mathematical background, this book is ideal for a graduate course in categorical data analysis taught in departments of psychology, educational psychology, human development and family studies, sociology, public health, and business. Researchers in these disciplines interested in applying these procedures will also appreciate this book’s accessible approach.

A comprehensive resource for analyzing a variety of categorical data, this book emphasizes the application of many recent advances of longitudinal categorical statistical methods. Each chapter provides basic methodology, helpful applications, examples using data from all fields of the social sciences, computer tutorials, and exercises. Written for social scientists and students, no advanced mathematical training is required. Step-by-step command files are given for both the CDAS and the SPSS software programs.

Praise for the Second Edition "A must-have book for anyone expecting to do research and/or applications in categorical data analysis." —Statistics in Medicine "It is a total delight reading this book." —Pharmaceutical Research "If you do any analysis of categorical data, this is an essential desktop reference." —Technometrics The use of statistical methods for analyzing categorical data has increased dramatically, particularly in the biomedical, social sciences, and financial industries. Responding to new developments, this book offers a comprehensive treatment of the most important methods for categorical data analysis. Categorical Data Analysis, Third Edition summarizes the latest methods for univariate and correlated multivariate categorical responses. Readers will find a unified generalized linear models approach that connects logistic regression and Poisson and negative binomial loglinear models for discrete data with normal regression for continuous data. This edition also features: An emphasis on logistic and probit regression methods for binary, ordinal, and nominal responses for independent observations and for clustered data with marginal models and random effects models Two new chapters on alternative methods for binary response data, including smoothing and regularization methods, classification methods such as linear discriminant analysis and classification trees, and cluster analysis New sections introducing the Bayesian approach for methods in that chapter More than 100 analyses of data sets and over 600 exercises Notes at the end of each chapter that provide references to recent research and topics not covered in the text, linked to a bibliography of more than 1,200 sources A supplementary website showing how to use R and SAS; for all examples in the text, with information also about SPSS and Stata and with exercise solutions Categorical Data Analysis, Third Edition is an invaluable tool for statisticians and methodologists, such as biostatisticians and researchers in the social and behavioral sciences, medicine and public health, marketing, education, finance, biological and agricultural sciences, and industrial quality control.

This book provides a selection of modern and sophisticated methodologies for the analysis of large and complex univariate and multivariate categorical data. It gives an overview of a substantive and broad collection of topics in the analysis of categorical data, including association, marginal and graphical models, time series and fixed effects models, as well as modern methods of estimation such as regularization, Bayesian estimation and bias reduction methods, along with new simple measures for model interpretability. Methodological innovations and developments are illustrated and explained through real-world applications, together with useful R packages, allowing readers to replicate most of the analyses using the provided code. The applications span a variety of disciplines, including education, psychology, health, economics, and social sciences.