Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29742126›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

Using Bayesian dynamical systems, model averaging and neural networks to determine interactions between socio-economic indicators.

Björn R H Blomqvist, Richard P Mann, David J T Sumpter

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Coupling functions: dynamical interaction mechanisms in the physical, biological and social sciences.Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences · 2019
    Article
  2. Synchronization transitions caused by time-varying coupling functions.Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences · 2019
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Björn R H BlomqvistUppsala University, Department of Mathematics, Uppsala, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-7029-1462
Richard P MannUniversity of Leeds, School of Mathematics, Leeds, United Kingdom.
David J T SumpterUppsala University, Department of Mathematics, Uppsala, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Social and economic systems produce complex and nonlinear relationships in the indicator variables that describe them. We present a Bayesian methodology to analyze the dynamical relationships between indicator variables by identifying the nonlinear functions that best describe their interactions. We search for the 'best' explicit functions by fitting data using Bayesian linear regression on a vast number of models and then comparing their Bayes factors. The model with the highest Bayes factor, having the best trade-off between explanatory power and interpretability, is chosen as the 'best' model. To be able to compare a vast number of models, we use conjugate priors, resulting in fast computation times. We check the robustness of our approach by comparison with more prediction oriented approaches such as model averaging and neural networks. Our modelling approach is illustrated using the classical example of how democracy and economic growth relate to each other. We find that the best dynamical model for democracy suggests that long term democratic increase is only possible if the economic situation gets better. No robust model explaining economic development using these two variables was found.

Indexed as

Bayes TheoremNeural Networks, ComputerSocioeconomic FactorsComputer SimulationDemocracyLinear ModelsModels, Statistical

Identifiers

PMID29742126
PMCPMC5942783

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.