ERIC Number: EJ980665
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Oct
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1076-9986
EISSN: N/A
Estimating a Meaningful Point of Change: A Comparison of Exploratory Techniques Based on Nonparametric Regression
Klotsche, Jens; Gloster, Andrew T.
Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, v37 n5 p579-600 Oct 2012
Longitudinal studies are increasingly common in psychological research. Characterized by repeated measurements, longitudinal designs aim to observe phenomena that change over time. One important question involves identification of the exact point in time when the observed phenomena begin to meaningfully change above and beyond baseline fluctuations. The authors introduce a nonparametric modeling framework to estimate the change-point of interest using derivatives of the underlying regression function for an outcome variable across time. The estimator of Huh and Carriere (HC) consistently performed acceptably when using a plug-in bandwidth in a Monte Carlo simulation study. It was shown that the estimator performed well with a minimum number of 15 design points. This procedure was applied to longitudinal data collected on performance anxiety. Results suggest that the HC estimator combined with plug-in bandwidth selection provides an efficient strategy for investigating a possible change-point at which an observed outcome variable starts changing across time. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)
Descriptors: Longitudinal Studies, Psychological Studies, Nonparametric Statistics, Regression (Statistics), Comparative Analysis, Monte Carlo Methods, Computation, Change, Anxiety, Undergraduate Students, Musicians
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A