Exploratory Data Analysis for Complex Models

“Exploratory” and “confirmatory” data analysis can both be viewed as methods for comparing observed data to what would be obtained under an implicit or explicit statistical model. For example, many of Tukey’s methods can be interpreted as checks against hypothetical linear models and Poisson distributions. In more complex situations, Bayesian methods can be useful for constructing reference distributions for various plots that are useful in exploratory data analysis. This article proposes an approach to unify exploratory data analysis with more formal statistical methods based on probability models. These ideas are developed in the context of examples from fields including psychology, medicine, and social science.