Current statistical analysis software assumes a matrix mindset. Easy for computers and the associated math but hard for most people, including me.
I am a visual explorer. When faced with a new problem, I like to draw to think. I envision a successful outcome before I start.
Current software doesn't help that process.
I imagine a different kind of statical program that pictorially represents raw data and exploratory analysis. Raw data could be icon-based, little homunculi with group tags. Groups could be represented as circles, mean differences represented as the distance between circles and variances represented as diameters. Confidence intervals could be added as concentric circles.
Visual quantitative reasoning is an important, but under taught skill. It is often the last step, often use only used to interpret finished graphs in published papers. It could also be the first step in understanding unpolished data.
A visually based software would help the process of introducing statistics to students. Circles are more friendly than dataframes.
Every representation shapes thought. There are limitations and distortions inherent in visually representing data. However there should be viable alternatives to the current left-brain driven paradigms.
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