Darya Sinusoid, Author at Shortform Books

What Is Regression Analysis in Statistics?

What is regression analysis in statistics? What can a regression test tell us about the relationship between two variables? Regression analysis is an inferential statistic that can help us infer relationships between variables that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to study. Regression analysis quantifies the direction, magnitude, and significance of an independent variable’s relationship to a dependent variable. Here’s a look at what inferential analysis does and the statistics involved.

The Challenges in Program Evaluation Research

What is program evaluation research? What types of program evaluations are there? Program evaluation refers to any situation where we’re interested in measuring the outcome of an event, which we refer to as a “treatment.” “Treatments” encompass academic interventions, social programs, political policies, fitness regimens, business tactics, clinical trials, and so on. Keep reading to learn about program evaluation research design and major challenges.

Why Is the Black Poverty Rate in America So High?

Why is the Black poverty rate so high in America? Why is the racial wealth gap so hard to close? For the majority of Americans, wealth is something that’s accumulated across generations through inheritance. But Black Americans have historically been left with little to no inheritance, making it much harder for them to gain success and wealth compared to white Americans. Keep reading to learn about the causes of Black poverty in America.

The Role of Insulin Resistance in Alzheimer’s Disease

How is insulin implicated in dementia? Why are diabetes patients at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease? Insulin resistance is heavily associated with the risk for dementia. In fact, Alzheimer’s disease is sometimes referred to as Type 3 diabetes. Generally, high blood sugar—even without insulin resistance—is associated with cognitive decline. Keep reading to learn about the role of insulin resistance in Alzheimer’s disease.

How to Make Progress With Very Little Effort

Is hard work really the key to success? What if we instead found easier routes to progress and success and integrated them into our lives? In our professional and personal lives, we’re often taught that to achieve progress, we must work as hard as we possibly can. According to Greg McKeown, it doesn’t have to be that way. In his book Effortless, he debunks this belief and suggests several ways to make the most of your time with less effort. Here’s how to make progress effortlessly, according to Greg McKeown.

The Obesity Code: Book Overview (Jason Fung)

What is Jason Fung’s The Obesity Code about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book The Obesity Code, Jason Fung argues that for decades, we’ve misunderstood obesity and, as a result, have consistently failed in our efforts to curb its spread. Fung presents a new theory, arguing that obesity is a hormonal problem that causes overeating and weight gain, rather than a problem of willpower or self-control. Below is a brief overview of The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss by Jason Fung.

Misleading Statistics: Lying With Numbers

How do people mislead with statistics? What are some real-world examples of misleading statistics? Anyone with the will and a capable computer program can perform statistical analyses. This accessibility combined with the ease and speed of information sharing in our technology-oriented culture makes it easy for misleading statistics to make their way into our lives and inform our opinions or decisions. Keep reading to find out how you can avoid falling into the trap of misleading statistics.

Publication Bias in Research: Negative Findings

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Lollapalooza Effect

What is publication bias in research? Why do researchers choose not to report negative findings? Publication bias occurs when the outcome of a research project influences the decision to publish it. Researchers and publishers may be more inclined to share positive research findings because they make for more attention-grabbing headlines. Here’s how publication bias can lead to inflated confidence in research findings.

Untangling Amyloid: Alzheimer’s Disease Hallmark?

How are amyloid plaques implicated in Alzheimer’s disease? How does amyloid build-up contribute to cognitive decline? An abundance of amyloid plaque in a person’s brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, but not all amyloid plagues are created equal. Recent research suggests that some types of amyloid plagues are actually benign and even protective. Here’s what we know about the role of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease.

5 Myths About Obesity: Debunked by Science

What is the main cause of obesity? Is obesity a disease or simply a result of eating an excess amount of calories? According to Jason Fung, the “calories in, calories out” theory fails to capture the full picture of obesity. Excess calories play a part, but they aren’t the root cause of obesity. More specifically, this theory fails to appreciate that obesity is a hormonal disease, rather than a problem of willpower or bad eating habits. In his book Obesity Code, Fung lays out five mistaken premises that hamper the current model of obesity. Here are five myths about obesity