The effect of selection bias in studies of fads and fashions.
Most studies of fashion and fads focus on objects and practices that once were popular. We argue that limiting the sample to such trajectories generates a selection bias that obscures the underlying process and generates biased estimates. Through simulations and the analysis of a data set that has p...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2015-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4401772?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818178020514463744 |
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| author | Jerker Denrell Balázs Kovács |
| author_facet | Jerker Denrell Balázs Kovács |
| author_sort | Jerker Denrell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Most studies of fashion and fads focus on objects and practices that once were popular. We argue that limiting the sample to such trajectories generates a selection bias that obscures the underlying process and generates biased estimates. Through simulations and the analysis of a data set that has previously not been used to analyze the rise and fall of cultural practices, the New York Times text archive, we show that studying a whole range of cultural objects, both popular and less popular, is essential for understanding the drivers of popularity. In particular, we show that estimates of statistical models of the drivers of popularity will be biased if researchers use only trajectories of those practices that once were popular. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:41:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c4e4edb21a744d78aabc777b08a11fc5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:41:20Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-c4e4edb21a744d78aabc777b08a11fc52022-12-22T00:51:31ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01104e012347110.1371/journal.pone.0123471The effect of selection bias in studies of fads and fashions.Jerker DenrellBalázs KovácsMost studies of fashion and fads focus on objects and practices that once were popular. We argue that limiting the sample to such trajectories generates a selection bias that obscures the underlying process and generates biased estimates. Through simulations and the analysis of a data set that has previously not been used to analyze the rise and fall of cultural practices, the New York Times text archive, we show that studying a whole range of cultural objects, both popular and less popular, is essential for understanding the drivers of popularity. In particular, we show that estimates of statistical models of the drivers of popularity will be biased if researchers use only trajectories of those practices that once were popular.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4401772?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Jerker Denrell Balázs Kovács The effect of selection bias in studies of fads and fashions. PLoS ONE |
| title | The effect of selection bias in studies of fads and fashions. |
| title_full | The effect of selection bias in studies of fads and fashions. |
| title_fullStr | The effect of selection bias in studies of fads and fashions. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of selection bias in studies of fads and fashions. |
| title_short | The effect of selection bias in studies of fads and fashions. |
| title_sort | effect of selection bias in studies of fads and fashions |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4401772?pdf=render |
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