Principles and Procedures of Exploratory Data （原则和程序的探索性数据）.pdf

Psychological Methods Copyright 1997by the American PsychologicalAssociation, Inc. 1997,Vol. 2, No. 2, 131-160 1082-989X/97/$3.00 Principles and Procedures of Exploratory Data Analysis John T. Behrens Arizona State University Exploratory data analysis (EDA) is a well-established statistical tradition that pro- vides conceptual and computational tools for discovering patterns to foster hypoth- esis development and refinement. These tools and attitudes complement the use of significance and hypothesis tests used in confirmatory data analysis (CDA). Al- though EDA complements rather than replaces CDA, use of CDA without EDA is seldom warranted. Even when well-specified theories are held, EDA helps one interpret the results of CDA and may reveal unexpected or misleading patterns in the data. This article introduces the central heuristics and computational tools of EDA and contrasts it with CDA and exploratory statistics in general. EDA tech- niques are illustrated using previously published psychological data. Changes in statistical training and practice are recommended to incorporate these tools. The widespread availability of software for graphi- cies and the generally bleak picture of methodological cal data analysis and calls for increased use of expl