This bachelor’s thesis focuses on the effect of outliers on the one-way analysis of variance and examines whether the estimate in ANOVA is robust and whether the actual test itself is robust from influence of extreme outliers. The robustness of the estimates is examined using the breakdown point while the robustness of the test is examined by simulating the hypothesis test under some extreme situations. This study finds evidence that the estimates in ANOVA are sensitive to outliers, i.e. that the procedure is not robust. Samples with a larger portion of extreme outliers have a higher type-I error probability than the expected level.

Differential item functioning (DIF) detection rates were examined for the logistic regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA) DIF detection methods. The methods were applied to simulated data sets of varying test length (20, 40, and 60 items) and sample size (200, 400, and 600 examinees) for both equal and unequal underlying ability between groups as well as for both fixed and varying item discrimination parameters. Each test contained 5% uniform DIF items, 5% non-uniform DIF items, and 5% combination DIF (simultaneous uniform and non-uniform DIF) items. The factors were completely crossed, and each experiment was replicated 100 times. For both methods and all DIF types, a test length of 20 was sufficient for satisfactory DIF detection. The detection rate increased significantly with sample size for each method. With the ANOVA DIF method and uniform DIF, there was a difference in detection rates between discrimination parameter types, which favored varying discrimination and decreased with increased sample size. The detection rate of non-uniform DIF using the ANOVA DIF method was higher with fixed discrimination parameters than with varying discrimination parameters when relative underlying ability was unequal. In the combination DIF case, there was a three-way interaction among the experimental factors discrimination type, relative ability, and sample size for both detection methods. The error rate for the ANOVA DIF detection method decreased as test length increased and increased as sample size increased. For both methods, the error rate was slightly higher with varying discrimination parameters than with fixed. For logistic regression, the error rate increased with sample size when relative underlying ability was unequal between groups. The logistic regression method detected uniform and non-uniform DIF at a higher rate than the ANOVA DIF method. Because the type of DIF present in real data is rarely known, the logistic regression method is recommended for most cases.

Oi-Ping Chiu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 45-46). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Model --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- General Model --- p.4 / Chapter 2.2 --- Constraint --- p.5 / Chapter 3 --- Bayesian Estimation via Gibbs Sampler --- p.7 / Chapter 3.1 --- Conditional Distributions --- p.10 / Chapter 3.2 --- Constraint --- p.15 / Chapter 3.3 --- Bayesian Estimation --- p.16 / Chapter 4 --- Model Comparison using the Bayes Factor --- p.18 / Chapter 5 --- Simulation Study --- p.22 / Chapter 6 --- Real Example --- p.27 / Chapter 6.1 --- Model Selection --- p.29 / Chapter 6.2 --- Bayesian Estimate --- p.30 / Chapter 6.3 --- Sensitivity Analysis --- p.31 / Chapter 7 --- Discussion --- p.32 / Chapter A --- p.34 / Bibliography --- p.45

"February 1992" Bibliography: leaf 323-344. Develops a general strategy for factorial linear model analysis for experimental and observational studies, an iterative, four-stage, model comparison procedure. The approach is applicable to studies characterized as being structure-balanced, multitiered and based on Tjur structures unless the structure involves variation factors when it must be a regular Tjur structure. It covers a wide range of experiments including multiple-error, change-over, two-phase, superimposed and unbalanced experiments.

In the study of sound identification, land animals such as birds and bats have been well investigated, and so are their habitats. On the other hand, sound making creatures in the ocean are much less researched. In this research, the stress calls of three Holocentridaes, Neoniphon sammara, Myripristis murdjan, and Sargocentron spinosissimum, who are commonly found in coral reefs, were recorded in water tank for analysis of sound characteristics. The averaged characteristic parameters of single pulse among three is around 410 Hz for the peak frequency, 100 Hz for the bandwidth, 0.07 dB/Hz for the slope, and duration of 0.05 s. As for the impulse train, averaged peak frequency is 415 Hz, 55 Hz for the bandwidth, 0.07 dB/Hz for the slope, and duration of 0.5 s. These parameters were first checked by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test to identify if each parameter follows normal distribution; the slopes of ascending and descending frequency and the total duration are not in normal distribution. The three parameters were later transferred so as to concentrate variances. Next, analysis of variance was applied on all characteristics to extract the significant parameters (including non transferred and transferred data), which were then tested by Stepwise Discriminat and Back-propagation Network. The identification rate of for single pulse with and without data transfer is 63% and 82% while pulse train is 57% and 73%. Both identification rates were raised up approximately 20% due to the data transfer. Both methods provide an reliable tool for marine sound identification, and the whole process of the study may be applied to another biological identification.

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Estimation of the probability of occurrence of future flood events at one or more locations across a river system is frequently required for the design of bridges, culverts, spillways, dams and other engineering works. This study investigates some of the statistical aspects for estimating the flood frequency distribution at a single site and on regional basis. It is demonstrated that generalized logistic (GL) distribution has many properties well suited for the modelling of flood frequency data. The GL distribution performs better than the other commonly recommended flood frequency distributions in terms of several key properties. Specifically, it is capable of reproducing almost the same degree of skewness typically present in observed flood data. It appears to be more robust to the presence of extreme outliers in the upper tail of the distribution. It has a relatively simpler mathematical form. Thus all the well known methods of parameter estimation can be easily implemented. It is shown that the method of probability weighted moments (PWM) using the conventionally recommended plotting position substantially effects the estimation of the shape parameter of the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution by relocating the annual maximum flood series. A location invariant plotting position is introduced to use in estimating, by the method of PWM, the parameters of the GEV and the GL distributions. Tests based on empirical distribution function (EDF) statistics are proposed to assess the goodness of fit of the flood frequency distributions. A modified EDF test is derived that gives greater emphasis to the upper tail of a distribution which is more important for flood frequency prediction. Significance points are derived for the GEV and GL distributions when the parameters are to be estimated from the sample data by the method of PWMs. The critical points are considerably smaller than for the case where the parameters of a distribution are assumed to be specified. Approximate formulae over the whole range of the distribution for these tests are also developed which can be used for regional assessment of GEV and GL models based on all the annual maximum series simultaneously in a hydrological region. In order to pool at-site flood data across a region into a single series for regional analysis, the effect of standardization by at-site mean on the estimation of the regional shape parameter of the GEV distribution is examined. Our simulation study based on various synthetic regions reveals that the standardization by the at-site mean underestimates the shape parameter of the GEV by about 30% of its true value and also contributes to the separation of skewness of observed and simulated floods. A two parameter standardization by the at-site estimates of location and scale parameters is proposed. It does not distort the shape of the flood frequency data in the pooling process. Therefore, it offers significantly improved estimate of the shape parameter, allows pooling data with heterogeneous coefficients of variation and helps to explain the separation of skewness effect. Regions on the basis of flood statistics L-CV and USKEW are derived for Scotland and North England. Only about 50% of the basins could be correctly identified as belonging to these regions by a set of seven catchment characteristics. The alternative approach of grouping basins solely on the basis of physical properties is preferable. Six physically homogeneous groups of basins are identified by WARD's multivariate clustering algorithm using the same seven characteristics. These regions have hydrological homogeneity in addition to their physical homogeneity. Dimensionless regional flood frequency curves are produced by fitting GEV and GL distributions for each region. The GEV regional growth curves imply a larger return period for a given magnitude flood. When floods are described by GL model the respective return periods are considerably smaller.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed Oct. 31, 2007). Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-112).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, 1992. / "February 1992." Includes bibliographical references (leaf 323-344). Also available electronically.