Estimating a sensitive proportion through randomized response procedures based on auxiliary information

Randomized response techniques are widely employed in surveys dealing with sensitive questions to ensure interviewee anonymity and reduce nonrespondents rates and biased responses. Since Warner’s (J Am Stat Assoc 60:63–69, 1965) pioneering work, many ingenious devices have been suggested to increase respondent’s privacy protection and to better estimate the proportion of people, π _A , bearing a sensitive attribute. In spite of the massive use of auxiliary information in the estimation of non-sensitive parameters, very few attempts have been made to improve randomization strategy performance when auxiliary variables are available. Moving from Zaizai’s (Model Assist Stat Appl 1:125–130, 2006) recent work, in this paper we provide a class of estimators for π _A , for a generic randomization scheme, when the mean of a supplementary non-sensitive variable is known. The minimum attainable variance bound of the class is obtained and the best estimator is also identified. We prove that the best estimator acts as a regression-type estimator which is at least as efficient as the corresponding estimator evaluated without allowing for the auxiliary variable. The general results are then applied to Warner and Simmons’ model.     

A permutation approach for testing heterogeneity in two-sample categorical variables

In many sciences researchers often meet the problem of establishing if the distribution of a categorical variable is more concentrated, or less heterogeneous, in population P ₁ than in population P ₂. An approximate nonparametric solution to this problem is discussed within the permutation context. Such a solution has similarities to that of testing for stochastic dominance, that is, of testing under order restrictions, for ordered categorical variables. Main properties of given solution and a Monte Carlo simulation in order to evaluate its degree of approximation and its power behaviour are examined. Two application examples are also discussed.     

Comparison of performance measures for multivariate discrete models

For multivariate probit models, Spiess and Tutz suggest three alternative performance measures, which are all based on the decomposition of the variation. The multivariate probit model can be seen as a special case of the discrete copula model. This paper proposes some new measures based on the value of the likelihood function and the prediction-realization table. In addition, it generalizes the measures from Spiess and Tutz for the discrete copula model. Results of a simulation study designed to compare the different measures in various situations are presented.     

On locally optimal invariant unbiased tests for the variance components ratio in mixed linear models

In the paper the problem of testing of two-sided hypotheses for variance components in mixed linear models is considered. When the uniformly most powerful invariant test does not exist (see e.g. Das and Sinha, in Proceedings of the second international Tampere conference in statistics, 1987; Gnot and Michalski, in Statistics 25:213–223, 1994; Michalski and Zmyślony, in Statistics 27:297–310, 1996) then to conduct the optimal statistical inference on model parameters a construction of a test with locally best properties is desirable, cf. Michalski (in Tatra Mountains Mathematical Publications 26:1–21, 2003). The main goal of this article is the construction of the locally best invariant unbiased test for a single variance component (or for a ratio of variance components). The result has been obtained utilizing Andersson’s and Wijsman’s approach connected with a representation of density function of maximal invariant (Andersson, in Ann Stat 10:955–961, 1982; Wijsman, in Proceedings of fifth Berk Symp Math Statist Prob 1:389–400, 1967; Wijsman, in Sankhyā A 48:1–42, 1986; Khuri et al., in Statistical tests for mixed linear models, 1998) and from generalized Neyman–Pearson Lemma (Dantzig and Wald, in Ann Math Stat 22:87–93, 1951; Rao, in Linear statistical inference and its applications, 1973). One selected real example of an unbalanced mixed linear model is given, for which the power functions of the LBIU test and Wald’s test (the F-test in ANOVA model) are computed, and compared with the attainable upper bound of power obtained by using Neyman–Pearson Lemma.     

Automating and evaluating reversible jump MCMC proposal distributions

The reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampler (Green in Biometrika 82:711–732, 1995) has become an invaluable device for Bayesian practitioners. However, the primary difficulty with the sampler lies with the efficient construction of transitions between competing models of possibly differing dimensionality and interpretation. We propose the use of a marginal density estimator to construct between-model proposal distributions. This provides both a step towards black-box simulation for reversible jump samplers, and a tool to examine the utility of common between-model mapping strategies. We compare the performance of our approach to well established alternatives in both time series and mixture model examples.     

Estimation of a relative potency of two preparations with correlated responses

Estimation of a relative potency of two preparations in so-called parallel-line assays is presented. A special type of incomplete Latin square designs where doses of preparations are administered is considered. Testing hypotheses about similarity of preparations and their relative potency in the case of correlated observations are regarded. Confidence interval for the relative potency of preparations is also given. Theoretical considerations are applied to point and interval estimation of potencies of new tuberculins with respect to some international standards tested in experiments on guinea-pigs.     

Double ASN Minimax sampling plans by variables when the standard deviation is unknown

We deal with the double sampling plans by variables proposed by Bowker and Goode (Sampling Inspection by Variables, McGraw–Hill, New York, 1952) when the standard deviation is unknown. Using the procedure for the calculation of the OC given by Krumbholz and Rohr (Allg. Stat. Arch. 90:233–251, 2006), we present an optimization algorithm allowing to determine the ASN Minimax plan. This plan, among all double plans satisfying the classical two-point-condition on the OC, has the minimal ASN maximum.