[R] Scaling - does it get any better results than not scaling?

[Bert Gunter]

Prof. Koenker's response probably settles the matter, but if not, this
thread should really be taken offlist, as it is primarily about statistics
and not R programming.
stats.stackexchange.com might be an alternative place to post; indeed, I
suspect the issue has already been addressed in their archives.

Cheers,
Bert



Bert Gunter

"The trouble with having an open mind is that people keep coming along and
sticking things into it."
-- Opus (aka Berkeley Breathed in his "Bloom County" comic strip )

On Tue, Jul 17, 2018 at 1:02 AM, Roger Koenker <rkoenker using illinois.edu>
wrote:

> In certain fields this sort of standardization has become customary based
> on some sort of (misguided) notion that it
> induces “normality.”  For example, in anthropometric studies based on the
> international Demographic and Health
> Surveys (DHS) childrens’ heights are often transformed to Z-scores prior
> to subsequent analysis under the dubious
> presumption that variability around the Z-scores at various ages will be
> Gaussian.  In my experience this is rarely
> justified, and analysts would be better off modeling the original data
> rather than doing the preliminary transformation.
> This is discussed in further detail here:  https://projecteuclid.org/
> euclid.bjps/1313973394.
>
> > On Jul 17, 2018, at 5:53 AM, Michael Thompson <
> michael.thompson using manukau.ac.nz> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> > I seem to remember from classes that one effect of scaling /
> standardising data was to get better results in any analysis. But what I'm
> seeing when I study various explanations on scaling is that we get exactly
> the same results, just that when we look at standardised data it's easier
> to see proportionate effects.
> > This is all very well for the data scientist to further investigate, but
> from a practical point of view, (especially IF it doesn't improve the
> accuracy of the result) surely it adds complication to 'telling the story'
> > of the model to non-DS people?
> > So, is scaling a technique for the DS to use to find effects, while
> eventually delivering a non-scaled version to the users?
> > I'd like to be able to give the true story to my students, not some
> fairy story based on my misunderstanding. Hope you can help with this.
> > Michael
> >
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> ______________________________________________
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