The "given data" paradigm undermines both cultures

Abstract

Breiman organizes "Statistical modeling: The two cultures" around a simple visual. Data, to the far right, are compelled into a "black box" with an arrow and then catapulted left by a second arrow, having been transformed into an output. Breiman then posits two interpretations of this visual as encapsulating a distinction between two cultures in statistics. The divide, he argues is about what happens in the "black box." In this comment, I argue for a broader perspective on statistics and, in doing so, elevate questions from "before" and "after" the box as fruitful areas for statistical innovation and practice.