ROBUST PREDICTIVE MODELING UNDER DATA HETEROGENEITY: INTEGRATING STATISTICAL INFERENCE, ENSEMBLE LEARNING, AND UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION

Authors

  • Dr. Alexander Bennett Department of Data Science, Example University, London, United Kingdom
  • Dr. Lukas Schneider Institute of Applied Statistics, Example University, Munich, Germany
  • Dr. Claire Dubois Department of Quantitative Methods, Example Institute, Paris, France

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69980/vspxf098

Keywords:

Data heterogeneity, Ensemble learning, Predictive modeling, Statistical inference, Uncertainty quantification

Abstract

Robust predictive modeling requires simultaneous consideration of data heterogeneity, predictive performance, and uncertainty. This study developed an integrated framework combining statistical inference, ensemble learning, and uncertainty assessment using heterogeneous bank-marketing data. After duplicate removal, 41,176 observations were analyzed, with successful subscriptions accounting for 11.27% of cases. Logistic regression, Random Forest, XGBoost, and a soft-voting ensemble were evaluated using discrimination, classification, and probability-based metrics. Contact duration was excluded from the primary prospective models and subsequently included in sensitivity analysis. Random Forest achieved the highest prospective ROC-AUC (0.813) and PR-AUC (0.486), whereas XGBoost obtained the lowest Brier score (0.076). The soft-voting ensemble achieved the highest F1-score (0.526) and Matthews correlation coefficient (0.462). Bootstrap confidence intervals showed considerable overlap among model discrimination estimates, indicating uncertainty around small performance differences. Inclusion of contact duration increased ROC-AUC to 0.940–0.950, demonstrating that predictor availability affected performance more strongly than algorithm selection. These findings emphasize the importance of evaluating predictive models through multiple performance measures, uncertainty estimates, and realistic predictor specifications. The proposed framework provides a statistically grounded approach for assessing predictive robustness in heterogeneous data environments. 

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Published

2025-06-25