A Visual Introduction to Propensity Score Analysis with Jason Bryer - nyhackr November Meetup

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Talk Title- A Visual Introduction to Propensity Score Analysis
Talk Description- The use of propensity score methods (Rosenbaum & Rubin, 1983) for estimating causal effects in observational studies or certain kinds of quasi-experiments has been increasing over the last two decades. Propensity score analysis (PSA) attempts to adjust selection bias that occurs due to the lack of randomization. Analysis is typically conducted in three phases. In phase I, the probability of placement in the treatment is estimated to identify matched pairs, clusters, or probability weights. In phase II, comparisons on the dependent variable can be made between matched pairs, within clusters, or using inverse probability weights in regression models. In phase III, sensitivity analysis is conducted to estimate how robust the effect sizes estimated in phase II are to unobserved confounders. R (R Core Team, 2012) is ideal for conducting PSA given its wide availability of the most current statistical methods vis-à-vis add-on packages as well as its superior graphics capabilities. This talk will provide participants with a theoretical overview of propensity score methods with an emphasis on graphics. A survey of R packages for conducting PSA with multilevel data, non-binary treatments, and bootstrapping will also be provided. Lastly, a Shiny application to assist with all three phases of PSA will be demonstrated.
Bio- Dr. Jason Bryer is currently an Assistant Professor and Associate Director in the Data Science and Information Systems department at the City University of New York. He is currently the Principal Investigator of the FIPSE ($3 million #P116F150077) and IES funded ($3.8 million R305A210269) Diagnostic Assessment and Achievement of College Skills (DAACS), which is a suite of technological and social supports designed to optimize student learning. Dr. Bryer’s other research interests include quasi-experimental designs with an emphasis on propensity score analysis, data systems to support formative assessment, and the use of open source software for conducting reproducible research. He is the author of over a dozen R packages, including three related to conducting propensity score analyses. When not crunching numbers, Jason is a wedding photographer and proud dad to three boys