In this paper, we propose a Bayesian methodology for examining differences between statistics of a social network at two distinct points in time. The problem has been of interest for some time in the social networks community because it is quite difficult to test whether differences over time in statistics such as overall network connectivities are significant. Several issues make this problem ...

In this paper, we compare the performance of two methods for estimating Bayesian networks from data containing exogenous variables and random effects. The first method is fully Bayesian in which a prior distribution is placed on the exogenous variables, whereas the second method, which we call the residual approach, accounts for the effects of exogenous variables by using the notion of restrict...

Bayesian hierarchical models typically involve specifying prior distributions for one or more variance components. This is rather removed from the observed data, so specification based on expert knowledge can be difficult. While there are suggestions for ‘default’ priors in the literature, often a conditionally conjugate inverse-gamma specification is used, despite documented drawbacks with thi...

objectives: the present study was designed to investigate the effects of job satisfaction and mental health on job stress and the balancing effects of hardiness and availability of social support network in a group of medical staff. method: two hundred of surgery room staff were studied by utilizing a low-high social support network index, operating room stress factor index questionnaire, life ...