Statistical Behaviors: Personal and Computer-Aided Observations

Abstract

My early years as a statistician were with the Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group and the Radiation Oncology Therapy Group; three of these years were spent at the Sidney Farber Cancer Institute. Later, I collaborated widely with investigators in many clinical research areas. I reflect on the “statistical interrogations of nature” I saw (and helped some of these) investigators plan and carry out. I look back on their (and my own) statistical behaviors when interpreting the information these interrogations produced and—using a few vignettes and some computer-generated observations—draw some lessons from them. These mainly have to do with making too much of one’s data.