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Abstract:
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The idea of 'statistician as critic' has been popular in our discipline for quite a long time. Statisticians serve as the expert evaluator for methods and quality of data-driven results in a multitude of areas. At times, in taking this role to heart, many statisticians can come off as overly critical and potentially condescending in working with clients who feel they are data and method oriented. Sometimes the discussion comes down to 'what is right or wrong' instead of 'how can we do better.' The impact of this idea is clear when one looks at movements over the years in fields like psychology or computer science to develop alternate methodologies for working with data that are not as grounding in traditional statistical theory. The purpose of this roundtable is to discuss this issue and illustrate how permeated the idea of serving as critic is embedded within our culture. As an alternative, it will be suggested that statisticians approach problems with curiosity instead of evaluation and that discussions free of judgement will create more productive relationships.
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