Thursday, March 4, 2010

Outliers

I'm struggling through the data analysis for my project at present.  It's due in on March 31st, I'm yet to successfully run the stats and you can blame the outliers and the lack of 'normality' for that.

And that got me thinking.  I'm an outlier, I'm the not-normal in the dataset of women.

"An outlier is an observation that lies an abnormal distance from other values 
in a random sample from a population".

I'm 37 and I don't make many eggs when stimulated. Outlier.
I've done 4 IVF stim cycles without a pregnancy. Outlier.
I have a very low AMH level and a very low inhibin-B level ... for 37. Outlier.

If I was in my dataset, I'd want to transform me or delete me. I'd ruin the analysis if I left me in.

I wish I could transform myself. I'd turn myself into Super-Egg-Making-Lady and square-root my weirdo hormone levels right into the normal range. Just like that!

But no. It only works in statistical packages, where my lovely depressed/not-depressed old people are now just represented by the numbers I've made of them.

I'm more than those numbers.

5 comments:

  1. You are WAY more than those numbers.

    ((HUGS))

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  2. Yes, you are not only more than those numbers, they are not even you. Don't let them define you, but damn if those research statistical speak words didn't just tell me volumes more about you! Too funny!

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  3. I prefer to think of it in terms of the book "Outliers" (by Malcolm Gladwell). The author examines the lives of people who have attained high levels of success in the arts, sciences, etc.. So let's turn it around and say you ARE an outlier, because silly numbers (and you are most definitely more than those) don't necessarily preclude success!

    (Very unscientific thinking, I know. Not my strong suit:))

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  4. Outliers are the people who achieve great things because they're not just like everyone else. That is you, my friend! Now, and more to come soon.

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  5. Oh Baby, I will doing the Outliers gig in a few months from now...chuckitychuck!

    Are you using SPSS or some other package?

    WE are MORE than those numbers...For one, we can't be interpreted that easily.

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"Scout yonder's been readin' ever since she was born." I wasn't quite so precocious but I do love reading comments!