Improved maximum likelihood estimators in a heteroskedastic errors-in-variables model (original) (raw)

A heteroscedastic structural errors-in-variables model with equation error

Statistical Methodology, 2009

It is not uncommon with astrophysical and epidemiological data sets that the variances of the observations are accessible from an analytical treatment of the data collection process. Moreover, in a regression model, heteroscedastic measurement errors and equation errors are common situations when modelling such data. This article deals with the limiting distribution of the maximum-likelihood and method-of-moments estimators for the line parameters of the regression model. We use the delta method to achieve it, making it possible to build joint confidence regions and hypothesis testing. This technique produces closed expressions for the asymptotic covariance matrix of those estimators. In the moment approach we do not assign any distribution for the unobservable covariate while with the maximum-likelihood approach, we assume a normal distribution. We also conduct simulation studies of rejection rates for Wald-type statistics in order to verify the test size and power. Practical applications are reported for a data set produced by the Chandra observatory and also from the WHO MONICA Project on cardiovascular disease.

Corrected Maximum Likelihood Estimators in Linear Heteroskedastic Regression Models

Brazilian Review of Econometrics, 2008

The linear heteroskedastic regression model, for which the variance of the response is given by a suitable function of a set of linear exogenous variables, is very useful in econometric applications. We derive a simple matrix formula for the n −1 biases of the maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters in the variance of the response, where n is the sample size. These biases are easily obtained as a vector of regression coefficients in a simple weighted least squares regression. We use simulation to compare the uncorrected estimators with the bias-corrected ones to conclude the superiority of the corrected estimators over the uncorrected ones with regard to the normal approximation. The practical use of such biases is illustrated in two applications to real data sets.

Bias-Corrected Maximum Likelihood Estimators in Nonlinear Heteroscedastic Models

Communications in Statistics - Theory and Methods, 2009

Maximum likelihood estimators usually have biases of the order O(n −1) for large sample size n which are very often ignored because of the fact that they are small when compared to the standard errors of the parameter estimators that are of order O(n −1/2). The accuracy of the estimates may be affected by such bias. To reduce such bias of the MLEs from order O(n −1) to order O(n −2), we adopt some bias-corrected techniques. In this paper, we adopt two approaches to derive first-order bias corrections for the the maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters of the Inverse Weibull distribution. The first one is the analytical methodology suggested by Cox and Snell (1968) and the second is based on the parametric Bootstrap resampling method. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to investigate the performance of these methodologies. Our results reveal that the bias corrections improve the accuracy as well as the consistency of the estimators. Finally, an example with a real data set is presented.

Hypothesis testing in an errors-in-variables model with heteroscedastic measurement errors

Statistics in Medicine, 2008

In many epidemiological studies it is common to resort to regression models relating incidence of a disease and its risk factors. The main goal of this paper is to consider inference on such models with error-prone observations and variances of the measurement errors changing across observations. We suppose that the observations follow a bivariate normal distribution and the measurement errors are normally distributed. Aggregate data allow the estimation of the error variances. Maximum likelihood estimates are computed numerically via the EM algorithm. Consistent estimation of the asymptotic variance of the maximum likelihood estimators is also discussed. Test statistics are proposed for testing hypotheses of interest. Further, we implement a simple graphical device that enables an assessment of the model's goodness of fit. Results of simulations concerning the properties of the test statistics are reported. The approach is illustrated with data from the WHO MONICA Project on cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A sequence of improved standard errors under heteroskedasticity of unknown form

Fuel and Energy Abstracts, 2011

The linear regression model is commonly used by practitioners to model the relationship between the variable of interest and a set of explanatory variables. The assumption that all error variances are the same (homoskedasticity) is oftentimes violated. Consistent regression standard errors can be computed using the heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator proposed by White (1980). Such standard errors, however, typically display nonnegligible systematic errors in finite samples, especially under leveraged data. Cribari-Neto et al. (2000) improved upon the White estimator by defining a sequence of bias-adjusted estimators with increasing accuracy. In this paper, we improve upon their main result by defining an alternative sequence of adjusted estimators whose biases vanish at a much faster rate. Hypothesis testing inference is also addressed. An empirical illustration is presented.

Estimation of an errors-in-variables regression model when the variances of the measurement errors vary between the observations

Statistics in Medicine, 2002

It is common in the analysis of aggregate data in epidemiology that the variances of the aggregate observations are available. The analysis of such data leads to a measurement error situation, where the known variances of the measurement errors vary between the observations. Assuming multivariate normal distribution for the 'true' observations and normal distributions for the measurement errors, we derive a simple EM algorithm for obtaining maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters of the multivariate normal distributions. The results also facilitate the estimation of regression parameters between the variables as well as the 'true' values of the observations. The approach is applied to reestimate recent results of the WHO MONICA Project on cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, where the original estimation of the regression coe cients did not adjust for the regression attenuation caused by the measurement errors.

Improved estimators in some linear errors-in-variables models in finite samples

Economics Letters, 1986

The paper uses a Monte Carlo study to demonstrate the dominance under mean squared errors or quadratic loss of a new improved estimator for some linear errors-in-variables models in finite samples. The new estimator is non-linear and biased in a conventional sense and has a smaller risk than the least squares and the Stein estimators. Standard errors for this estimator can be conveniently obtained by bootstrapping methods. 0165-1765/86/$3.50 0 1986, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland)

Influence Assessment in an Heteroscedastic Errors-in-Variables Model

Communications in Statistics - Theory and Methods, 2012

The main goal of this article is to consider influence assessment in models with error-prone observations and variances of the measurement errors changing across observations. The techniques enable to identify potential influential elements and also to quantify the effects of perturbations in these elements on some results of interest. The approach is illustrated with data from the WHO MONICA Project on cardiovascular disease.