= Binning = '''Binning''' is the process of transforming a continuous variable into either a categorical variable or a set of discrete indicator variables. <> ---- == Usage == === In Modeling === There is significant discussion surrounding the use of binning in regression models. If the intention of binning is to capture non-linearity, then a non-linear model is generally preferable. Another common solution to that problem is to regress on a variable and the square of that variable. Gelman discusses the approach partly in [[RegressionAndOtherStories|Regression and Other Stories]] and in [[https://statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2024/06/19/what/|blog posts]]: "One thing that people don't always realize is that you can do binning and linear together, for example in [[R]], `y ~ z + age + age.65.74 + age75.84 + age.85.up`" [link and styling mine]. ---- CategoryRicottone