Toward the Applicability of Statistics: A Representational View
The problem of understanding how statistical inference is, and can be, applied in empirical sciences is important for the methodology of science. It is the objective of this paper to gain a better understanding of the role of statistical methods in scientific modeling. The important question of w...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
2019-04-01
|
| Series: | Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/50386 |
| _version_ | 1819081815707615232 |
|---|---|
| author | Mahdi Ashoori S. Mahmoud Taheri |
| author_facet | Mahdi Ashoori S. Mahmoud Taheri |
| author_sort | Mahdi Ashoori |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The problem of understanding how statistical inference is, and can be, applied in empirical sciences is important for the methodology of science. It is the objective of this paper to gain a better understanding of the role of statistical methods in scientific modeling. The important question of whether the applicability reduces to the representational properties of statistical models is discussed. It will be shown that while the answer to this question is positive, representation in statistical models is not purely structural. In spite of the fact that representation in statistical models is based on the structural similarities between the statistical model and the empirical systems under study, these relationships are shown to be appropriate for representing relations in the target system by agent function, too. A second aspect of the paper involves the claim that agent-based components of statistical modeling are: a) interpretation of random variables, b) selection of the goal of statistical research, and c) selection of estimator properties. To justify these claims, a preliminary discussion will be presented on the role of statistics in modeling, as in regression and other structural models. This role will be explored and realized using a structural viewpoint. Also the role of statistical estimation in statistical modeling is discussed to explain the representational role of models and the inferential role of the agent in modeling. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T20:06:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95ac1342709b4cde8fde7f20cc04ecf3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1414-4247 1808-1711 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T20:06:47Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology |
| spelling | doaj.art-95ac1342709b4cde8fde7f20cc04ecf32022-12-21T18:51:50ZengUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaPrincipia: An International Journal of Epistemology1414-42471808-17112019-04-0123111312910.5007/1808-1711.2019v23n1p11331984Toward the Applicability of Statistics: A Representational ViewMahdi Ashoori0S. Mahmoud Taheri1Iranian Institute of PhilosophyTehran UniversityThe problem of understanding how statistical inference is, and can be, applied in empirical sciences is important for the methodology of science. It is the objective of this paper to gain a better understanding of the role of statistical methods in scientific modeling. The important question of whether the applicability reduces to the representational properties of statistical models is discussed. It will be shown that while the answer to this question is positive, representation in statistical models is not purely structural. In spite of the fact that representation in statistical models is based on the structural similarities between the statistical model and the empirical systems under study, these relationships are shown to be appropriate for representing relations in the target system by agent function, too. A second aspect of the paper involves the claim that agent-based components of statistical modeling are: a) interpretation of random variables, b) selection of the goal of statistical research, and c) selection of estimator properties. To justify these claims, a preliminary discussion will be presented on the role of statistics in modeling, as in regression and other structural models. This role will be explored and realized using a structural viewpoint. Also the role of statistical estimation in statistical modeling is discussed to explain the representational role of models and the inferential role of the agent in modeling.https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/50386applicabilitystatisticsscientific representationstructural modelstatistical methods |
| spellingShingle | Mahdi Ashoori S. Mahmoud Taheri Toward the Applicability of Statistics: A Representational View Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology applicability statistics scientific representation structural model statistical methods |
| title | Toward the Applicability of Statistics: A Representational View |
| title_full | Toward the Applicability of Statistics: A Representational View |
| title_fullStr | Toward the Applicability of Statistics: A Representational View |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward the Applicability of Statistics: A Representational View |
| title_short | Toward the Applicability of Statistics: A Representational View |
| title_sort | toward the applicability of statistics a representational view |
| topic | applicability statistics scientific representation structural model statistical methods |
| url | https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/50386 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mahdiashoori towardtheapplicabilityofstatisticsarepresentationalview AT smahmoudtaheri towardtheapplicabilityofstatisticsarepresentationalview |