“true” model • Not what xIC designed to do • xIC designed to ID best model for prediction • N -> infty, xIC picks complex models • Not bad: estimates converge to “true” values • Must use all models and focus on predictions to make good inferences
For more than one model, can average the averages • Do not average parameter estimates, just predictions • Because parameters in different models live in different small worlds => don’t mean same thing, even if named same thing • But predictions reference common large world
for each model • Compute distribution of predictions for each model • Mix predictions using model weights • Result is one kind of prediction ensemble • Such ensembles can outperform single-model predictions
year ending in digit “0” died in office • W. H. Harrison first, “Old Tippecanoe” • Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, FD Roosevelt • J. F. Kennedy last, assassinated in 1963 • Reagan broke the curse! • Trying all possible models: A formula for overfitting • Be thoughtful • Model averaging mitigates the curse • Admit data exploration
complex models than AIC/DIC/WAIC recommend • Theory says predictor important, so estimate it • If you have a theory-motivated model, you want to know what data says about it
predictor(s) • Influence of sugar in coffee depends on stirring • Influence of gene on phenotype depends on environment • Influence of skin color on cancer depends on latitude • Generalized linear models (GLMs): All predictors interact to some degree • Multilevel models: Massive interaction engines
nation (indicator) log GDP year 2000 rugged = 0.003 0 1 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 African nation (indicator) log GDP year 2000 rugged = 3 0 1 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 African nation (indicator) log GDP year 2000 rugged = 6 Effect of being in Africa depends upon ruggedness