Workshops on Modelling Choices using R in Toronto

Making choices is inherently human. We choose between brands of cereal or amongst candidates in an election. At times, choices may be influenced by the characteristics of the decision maker, such as age, income and sex. Choices may also be influenced by the attributes of competing alternatives, such as the cost of travelling between two cities by air or rail. At other times, choices are influenced by both.

Analyzing choices can be tricky. Practitioners and researchers have developed numerous statistical techniques to analyze and model choices. This workshop will offer applied, hands-on training in analyzing choices.

The workshops will be offered in two sessions. First session will focus on binary (yes/no) choices and introduce the basic assumptions about choice analysis. It will provide hands-on training on exploratory data analysis. Second session will focus on advanced topics in choice modelling including multiple (multinomial) choices, elasticities, and estimating market shares.

Participants are expected to bring their own laptops. Basic concepts will be illustrated in SPSS, Stata, and R.

Title: Workshop on Modelling Choices

Dates and Time: Session One - Friday, March 22, 2013 (2pm-5pm)

Session Two - Friday, March 29, 2013 (2pm-5pm)

Instructor: Murtaza Haider, Ph.D.

Location: Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, 55 Dundas Street West, Room 3-119, Toronto M5G 2C3 

Registration fee: The workshop is sponsored by the Dean’s office at the Ted Rogers School of Management and is offered free-of-cost to the Ryerson community.

Please RSVP by emailing mba@ryerson.ca

Registration will be restricted to 25 participants.

Help needed with sample selection biases

We are searching for a graduate student to assist us on a very short assignment about sample selection biases and Heckman Probit models. The help is not needed for estimating the models, but instead for reviewing the scenarios where the use of such models is theoretically appropriate or otherwise. For instance, we are particularly interested in determining if Heck Probit type models could be applied in situations where the response variable had the don’t know/refused option, which has been used for the selection equation in some published research. We seek help in understanding the assumptions in the model that would permit or restrict the use of Heck Probit model in such circumstances.

If interested, please email Murtaza Haider at murtaza.haider@ryerson.ca.