Meet Jonathan Goodman, Statistics summer scholar

Every year, the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland offers summer scholarships to a number of students so they can work with our staff on real-world projects. Jonathan Goodman is working with Associate Professor Brian McArdle on a project called A comparison of multivariate dispersion tests. Jonathan explains:

“The assumption of homoscedasticity, that the groups we are going to compare have the same level of spread, is one of the fundamental assumptions made when doing analysis of variance. My research is looking at the range of tests of equality of variance.  

“Brian has developed a technique that enables us to take tests developed to examine the levels of variance in a single variable and apply them to multivariate data. The aim of my research is to examine the personality of a range of tests in the univariate domain: are they Liberal or Conservative? Do they need lots of data and can they handle lots of groups at once? I will then take the univariate tests, and using Brian’s technique, see how they work with multivariate data.

“Over the past three years, I’ve been using techniques without looking at the machinery behind them. Now I get to break them open, see which work best and where, and perhaps give back to the stats community by helping to optimise the techniques.

“I have just completed my BSc majoring in Statistics and Psychology and next I will be doing my Honours degree in Statistics.

“Statistics is the best subject to study because it gives one the tools to answer questions asked in every subject. I’ve worked with people looking at the feelings of petrol station reps; the attitudes and values of New Zealanders; the effect of the stiffness of the pelvic floor on post-natal pelvic organ disorders; and the effects of different stent designs on aortal blood flow.”