A Gentle Introduction to Bayesian Statistics – Rens van de Schoot

Many of the solutions to deal with small sample sizes rely on Bayesian statistics. However, as of now Bayesian methods are not a part of the statistics curricula in most graduate programs. During this lecture, participants will be gently introduced to Bayesian statistics using many empirical examples. I will clarify the differences between the philosophies and interpretations in classical and Bayesian frameworks, and will illustrate why Bayesian methods might be able to overcome issues with small sample sizes. I will also demonstrate some dangers and commonly encountered difficulties, because using Bayesian methods for small sample sizes is not without challenges.

Rens van de Schoot
Utrecht University