Interesting Esoterica

Methods for studying coincidences

Book by Diaconis, P and Mosteller, Frederick
  • Published in 2006
  • Added on
This article illustrates basic statistical techniques for studying coincidences. These include data-gathering methods (informal anecdotes, case studies, observational studies, and experiments) and methods of analysis (exploratory and confirmatory data analysis, special analytic techniques, and probabilistic modeling, both general and special purpose). We develop a version of the birthday problem general enough to include dependence, inhomogeneity, and almost multiple matches. We review Fisher’s techniques for giving partial credit for close matches. We develop a model for studying coincidences involving newly learned words. Once we set aside coincidences having apparent causes, four principles account for large numbers of remaining coincidences: hidden cause; psychology, including memory and perception; multiplicity of endpoints, including the counting of “close” or nearly alike events as if they were identical; and the law of truly large numbers which says that when enormous numbers of events and people and their interactions cumulate over time, almost any outrageous event is bound to occur. These sources account for much of the force of synchronicity.

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Other information

key
Diaconis2006
type
book
date_added
2014-10-07
date_published
2006-03-14

BibTeX entry

@book{Diaconis2006,
	key = {Diaconis2006},
	type = {book},
	title = {Methods for studying coincidences},
	author = {Diaconis, P and Mosteller, Frederick},
	abstract = {This article illustrates basic statistical techniques for studying coincidences. These include data-gathering methods (informal anecdotes, case studies, observational studies, and experiments) and methods of analysis (exploratory and confirmatory data analysis, special analytic techniques, and probabilistic modeling, both general and special purpose). We develop a version of the birthday problem general enough to include dependence, inhomogeneity, and almost multiple matches. We review Fisher’s techniques for giving partial credit for close matches. We develop a model for studying coincidences involving newly learned words. Once we set aside coincidences having apparent causes, four principles account for large numbers of remaining coincidences: hidden cause; psychology, including memory and perception; multiplicity of endpoints, including the counting of “close” or nearly alike events as if they were identical; and the law of truly large numbers which says that when enormous numbers of events and people and their interactions cumulate over time, almost any outrageous event is bound to occur. These sources account for much of the force of synchronicity.},
	comment = {},
	date_added = {2014-10-07},
	date_published = {2006-03-14},
	urls = {http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-0-387-44956-2{\_}39},
	collections = {Easily explained,Probability and statistics,Modelling},
	url = {http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-0-387-44956-2{\_}39},
	urldate = {2014-10-07},
	year = 2006
}