A new heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator for the linear regression model

The assumption that all random errors in the linear regression model share the same variance (homoskedasticity) is often violated in practice. The ordinary least squares estimator of the vector of regression parameters remains unbiased, consistent and asymptotically normal under unequal error variances. Many practitioners then choose to base their inferences on such an estimator. The usual practice is to couple it with an asymptotically valid estimation of its covariance matrix, and then carry out hypothesis tests that are valid under heteroskedasticity of unknown form. We use numerical integration methods to compute the exact null distributions of some quasi-t test statistics, and propose a new covariance matrix estimator. The numerical results favor testing inference based on the estimator we propose.     

On the stability of the jackknife variance estimator in ratio estimation

The stability of a slightly modified version of the usual jackknife variance estimator is evaluated exactly in small samples under a suitable linear regression model and compared with that of two different linearization variance estimators. Depending on the degree of heteroscedasticity of the error variance in the model, the stability of the jackknife variance estimator is found to be somewhat comparable to that of one or the other of the linearization variance estimators under conditions especially favorable to ratio estimation (i.e., regression approximately through the origin with a relatively small coefficient of variation in the x population). When these conditions do not hold, however, the jackknife variance estimator is found to be less stable than either of the linearization variance estimators.     

Optimal and Robust Designs for Estimating the Concentration Curve and the AUC

The problem of interest is to estimate the concentration curve and the area under the curve (AUC) by estimating the parameters of a linear regression model with an autocorrelated error process. We introduce a simple linear unbiased estimator of the concentration curve and the AUC. We show that this estimator constructed from a sampling design generated by an appropriate density is asymptotically optimal in the sense that it has exactly the same asymptotic performance as the best linear unbiased estimator. Moreover, we prove that the optimal design is robust with respect to a minimax criterion. When repeated observations are available, this estimator is consistent and has an asymptotic normal distribution. Finally, a simulated annealing algorithm is applied to a pharmacokinetic model with correlated errors.     

Improved set estimators for the coefficients of a linear model when the error distribution is spherically symmetric with unknown variances

The usual confidence set for p (p ≥ 3) coefficients of a linear model is known to be dominated by the James-Stein confidence sets under the assumption of spherical symmetric errors with known variance (Hwang and Chen 1986). For the same confidence-set problem but for the unknown-variance case, naturally one replaces the unknown variance by an estimator. For the normal case, many previous studies have shown numerically that the resultant James-Stein confidence sets dominate the resultant usual confidence sets, i.e., the F confidence sets. In this paper we provide a further asymptotic justification, and we discover the same advantage of the James-Stein confidence sets for normal error as well as spherically symmetric error.     

Risk comparison of the Stein-rule estimator in a linear regression model with omitted relevant regressors and multivariate<Emphasis Type="Italic">t</Emphasis> errors under the Pitman nearness criterion

In this paper we consider a linear regression model with omitted relevant regressors and multivariatet error terms. The explicit formula for the Pitman nearness criterion of the Stein-rule (SR) estimator relative to the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimator is derived. It is shown numerically that the dominance of the SR estimator over the OLS estimator under the Pitman nearness criterion can be extended to the case of the multivariatet error distribution when the specification error is not severe. It is also shown that the dominance of the SR estimator over the OLS estimator cannot be extended to the case of the multivariatet error distribution when the specification error is severe. This research is partially supported by the Grants-in-Aid for 21st Century COE program.     

PMSE dominance of the positive-part shrinkage estimator in a regression model with proxy variables

Consider a linear regression model with some relevant regressors are unobservable. In such a situation, we estimate the model by using the proxy variables as regressors or by simply omitting the relevant regressors. In this paper, we derive the explicit formula of predictive mean squared error (PMSE) of a general family of shrinkage estimators of regression coefficients. It is shown analytically that the positive-part shrinkage estimator dominates the ordinary shrinkage estimator even when proxy variables are used in place of the unobserved variables. Also, as an example, our result is applied to the double k-class estimator proposed by Ullah and Ullah (Double k-class estimators of coefficients in linear regression. Econometrica. 1978;46:705–722). Our numerical results show that the positive-part double k-class estimator with proxy variables has preferable PMSE performance.     

Robust Linear Calibration

We regard the simple linear calibration problem where only the response y of the regression line y = β₀ + β₁ t is observed with errors. The experimental conditions t are observed without error. For the errors of the observations y we assume that there may be some gross errors providing outlying observations. This situation can be modeled by a conditionally contaminated regression model. In this model the classical calibration estimator based on the least squares estimator has an unbounded asymptotic bias. Therefore we introduce calibration estimators based on robust one-step-M-estimators which have a bounded asymptotic bias. For this class of estimators we discuss two problems: The optimal estimators and their corresponding optimal designs. We derive the locally optimal solutions and show that the maximin efficient designs for non-robust estimation and robust estimation coincide.     

An improved and efficient biased estimation technique in logistic regression model

Abstract

In this article, we propose a new improved and efficient biased estimation method which is a modified restricted Liu-type estimator satisfying some sub-space linear restrictions in the binary logistic regression model. We study the properties of the new estimator under the mean squared error matrix criterion and our results show that under certain conditions the new estimator is superior to some other estimators. Moreover, a Monte Carlo simulation study is conducted to show the performance of the new estimator in the simulated mean squared error and predictive median squared errors sense. Finally, a real application is considered.     

Pseudo‐R2 statistics under complex sampling

Model summaries based on the ratio of fitted and null likelihoods have been proposed for generalised linear models, reducing to the familiar R² coefficient of determination in the Gaussian model with identity link. In this note I show how to define the Cox–Snell and Nagelkerke summaries under arbitrary probability sampling designs, giving a design‐consistent estimator of the population model summary. It is also shown that for logistic regression models under case–control sampling the usual Cox–Snell and Nagelkerke R² are not design‐consistent, but are systematically larger than would be obtained with a cross‐sectional or cohort sample from the same population, even in settings where the weighted and unweighted logistic regression estimators are similar or identical. Implementation of the new estimators is straightforward and code is provided in R.     

Mean squared error estimators of small area means using survey weights

Using survey weights, You & Rao [You and Rao, The Canadian Journal of Statistics 2002; 30, 431–439] proposed a pseudo‐empirical best linear unbiased prediction (pseudo‐EBLUP) estimator of a small area mean under a nested error linear regression model. This estimator borrows strength across areas through a linking model, and makes use of survey weights to ensure design consistency and preserve benchmarking property in the sense that the estimators add up to a reliable direct estimator of the mean of a large area covering the small areas. In this article, a second‐order approximation to the mean squared error (MSE) of the pseudo‐EBLUP estimator of a small area mean is derived. Using this approximation, an estimator of MSE that is nearly unbiased is derived; the MSE estimator of You & Rao [You and Rao, The Canadian Journal of Statistics 2002; 30, 431–439] ignored cross‐product terms in the MSE and hence it is biased. Empirical results on the performance of the proposed MSE estimator are also presented. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 38: 598–608; 2010 © 2010 Statistical Society of Canada     

JAMES-STEIN RULE ESTIMATORS IN LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS WITH MULTIVARIATE-t DISTRIBUTED ERROR

This paper considers estimation of β in the regression model y =Xβ+μ, where the error components in μ have the jointly multivariate Student-t distribution. A family of James-Stein type estimators (characterised by nonstochastic scalars) is presented. Sufficient conditions involving only X are given, under which these estimators are better (with respect to the risk under a general quadratic loss function) than the usual minimum variance unbiased estimator (MVUE) of β. Approximate expressions for the bias, the risk, the mean square error matrix and the variance-covariance matrix for the estimators in this family are obtained. A necessary and sufficient condition for the dominance of this family over MVUE is also given.     

Adaptive wavelet estimation of a function from an m-dependent process with possibly unbounded m

The estimation of a multivariate function from a stationary m-dependent process is investigated, with a special focus on the case where m is large or unbounded. We develop an adaptive estimator based on wavelet methods. Under flexible assumptions on the nonparametric model, we prove the good performances of our estimator by determining sharp rates of convergence under two kinds of errors: the pointwise mean squared error and the mean integrated squared error. We illustrate our theoretical result by considering the multivariate density estimation problem, the derivatives density estimation problem, the density estimation problem in a GARCH-type model and the multivariate regression function estimation problem. The performance of proposed estimator has been shown by a numerical study for a simulated and real data sets.     

Jackknife Estimation for Smooth Functions of the Parametric Component in Partially Linear Regression Models

Abstract

It is known that due to the existence of the nonparametric component, the usual estimators for the parametric component or its function in partially linear regression models are biased. Sometimes this bias is severe. To reduce the bias, we propose two jackknife estimators and compare them with the naive estimator. All three estimators are shown to be asymptotically equivalent and asymptotically normally distributed under some regularity conditions. However, through simulation we demonstrate that the jackknife estimators perform better than the naive estimator in terms of bias when the sample size is small to moderate. To make our results more useful, we also construct consistent estimators of the asymptotic variance, which are robust against heterogeneity of the error variances.     

A partially adaptive estimator for the censored regression model based on a mixture of normal distributions

The goal of this paper is to introduce a partially adaptive estimator for the censored regression model based on an error structure described by a mixture of two normal distributions. The model we introduce is easily estimated by maximum likelihood using an EM algorithm adapted from the work of Bartolucci and Scaccia (Comput Stat Data Anal 48:821–834, 2005). A Monte Carlo study is conducted to compare the small sample properties of this estimator to the performance of some common alternative estimators of censored regression models including the usual tobit model, the CLAD estimator of Powell (J Econom 25:303–325, 1984), and the STLS estimator of Powell (Econometrica 54:1435–1460, 1986). In terms of RMSE, our partially adaptive estimator performed well. The partially adaptive estimator is applied to data on wife’s hours worked from Mroz (1987). In this application we find support for the partially adaptive estimator over the usual tobit model.     

Comparison of estimators of the location parameter using pitman's closeness criterion

Necessary and sufficient conditions for a linear estimator to dominate another linear estimator of a location parameter under the Pitman's criterion of comparison are discussed. Consequently it is demonstrated that a linear biased estimator can not dominate a linear unbiased estimator under Pitman's criterion and that the sample mean is the Closest Linear Unbiased Estimator (CLUE). It is also shown that the ridge regression estimator with a known biasing constant can not dominate the ordinary least squares estimator. If an estimator δdominates an estimator δin the average loss sense then sufficient conditions are obtained under which δis also preferred over δunder Pitman's criterion. Further we obtain sufficient conditions under which preference under the Pitman's criterion will lead to preference under the mean squared error sense.     

On a class of improved estimators of variance and estimation under order restriction

We consider the estimation of error variance and construct a class of estimators improving upon the usual estimators uniformly under entropy loss or under squared error loss. Through a Monte Carlo simulation study, the magnitude of the risk reduction of our improved estimator as compared with the usual one is examined in a context of a nested linear hypothesis testing of a linear regression model, where substantial risk reduction can be attained. We also construct a class of confidence intervals having larger coverage probabilities and not larger interval lengths than those of the usual ones. This allows us to construct a class of estimators universally dominating the usual ones. Further, we consider the estimation of order-restricted normal variances. We give a class of isotonic regression estimators improving upon the usual ones under various types of order restrictions. We also give a class of improved confidence intervals over the usual ones, and a class of estimators universally dominating the usual ones.     

Performance of some new Liu parameters for the linear regression model

Abstract

This article introduces some Liu parameters in the linear regression model based on the work of Shukur, Månsson, and Sjölander. These methods of estimating the Liu parameter d increase the efficiency of Liu estimator. The comparison of proposed Liu parameters and available methods has done using Monte Carlo simulation and a real data set where the mean squared error, mean absolute error and interval estimation are considered as performance criterions. The simulation study shows that under certain conditions the proposed Liu parameters perform quite well as compared to the ordinary least squares estimator and other existing Liu parameters.     

Finite sample properties of an HPT estimator when each individual regression coefficient is estimated in a misspecified linear regression model

ABSTRACT

In this paper, assuming that there exist omitted variables in the specified model, we analytically derive the exact formula for the mean squared error (MSE) of a heterogeneous pre-test (HPT) estimator whose components are the ordinary least squares (OLS) and feasible ridge regression (FRR) estimators. Since we cannot examine the MSE performance analytically, we execute numerical evaluations to investigate small sample properties of the HPT estimator, and compare the MSE performance of the HPT estimator with those of the FRR estimator and the usual OLS estimator. Our numerical results show that (1) the HPT estimator is more efficient when the model misspecification is severe; (2) the HPT estimator with the optimal critical value obtained under the correctly specified model can be safely used even when there exist omitted variables in the specified model.     

The Mean Squared Error Optimum Design Criterion for Parameter Estimation in Nonlinear Regression Models

In the context of nonlinear regression models, we propose an optimal experimental design criterion for estimating the parameters that account for the intrinsic and parameter-effects nonlinearity. The optimal design criterion proposed in this article minimizes the determinant of the mean squared error matrix of the parameter estimator that is quadratically approximated using the curvature array. The design criterion reduces to the D-optimal design criterion if there are no intrinsic and parameter-effects nonlinearity in the model, and depends on the scale parameter estimator and on the reparameterization used. Some examples, using a well known nonlinear kinetics model, demonstrate the application of the proposed criterion to nonsequential design of experiments as compared with the D-optimal criterion.     

Effects of non-normality and mild heteroscedasticity on estimators in regression

Several estimators are examined for the simple linear regression model under a controlled, experimental situation with multiple observations at each design point. The model is examined under normal and non-normal error distributions and mild heterogeneity of variances across the chosen design points. We consider the ordinary, generalized, and estimated generalized least squares estimators and several examples of M estimators. The asymptotic properties of the M estimator using the Huber ψ are presented under these conditions for the multiple regression model. A simulation study is also presented which indicates that the M estimator possesses strong robustness properties under the presence of both non-normality and mild heteroscedasticity o£ errors. Finally, the M estimates are compared to the least squares estimates in two examples.