| Session Title: A Gentle Introduction to Bayesian Analysis |
| Demonstration Session 886 to be held in Sebastian Section I2 on Saturday, Nov 14, 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM |
| Sponsored by the Quantitative Methods: Theory and Design TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Julius Najab, George Mason University, jnajab@gmu.edu |
| David Cades, George Mason University, dcades@gmu.edu |
| David Kidd, George Mason University, dkidd3@gmu.edu |
| Abstract: Quantitative methods in program evaluation typically are frequentist statistics. These statistical methods focus on population parameters with the hope of addressing the null hypothesis. In contrast to frequentist methods, Bayesian methods reverse the focus by directly addressing the hypothesis of interest with the hope of addressing population parameters. The current demonstration presents a general overview of both approaches in parallel to show evaluators that both methods serve our purposes. We will introduce Bayesian analyses by comparing them to their frequentist counterparts. Our demonstration consists primarily of simple statistics that would be suitable to all evaluators regardless of statistical background. The advantages and disadvantages of Bayesian analyses will be highlighted in each example. Because Bayesian analyses are not standard in evaluation, we intend to explain each procedure in detail and offer suggestion about how to present results to all stakeholders. |