No Arabic abstract
Bootstrap smoothed (bagged) parameter estimators have been proposed as an improvement on estimators found after preliminary data-based model selection. The key result of Efron (2014) is a very convenient and widely applicable formula for a delta method approximation to the standard deviation of the bootstrap smoothed estimator. This approximation provides an easily computed guide to the accuracy of this estimator. In addition, Efron (2014) proposed a confidence interval centered on the bootstrap smoothed estimator, with width proportional to the estimate of this approximation to the standard deviation. We evaluate this confidence interval in the scenario of two nested linear regression models, the full model and a simpler model, and a preliminary test of the null hypothesis that the simpler model is correct. We derive computationally convenient expressions for the ideal bootstrap smoothed estimator and the coverage probability and expected length of this confidence interval. In terms of coverage probability, this confidence interval outperforms the post-model-selection confidence interval with the same nominal coverage and based on the same preliminary test. We also compare the performance of confidence interval centered on the bootstrap smoothed estimator, in terms of expected length, to the usual confidence interval, with the same minimum coverage probablility, based on the full model.
Bootstrap smoothed (bagged) estimators have been proposed as an improvement on estimators found after preliminary data-based model selection. Efron, 2014, derived a widely applicable formula for a delta method approximation to the standard deviation of the bootstrap smoothed estimator. He also considered a confidence interval centered on the bootstrap smoothed estimator, with width proportional to the estimate of this standard deviation. Kabaila and Wijethunga, 2019, assessed the performance of this confidence interval in the scenario of two nested linear regression models, the full model and a simpler model, for the case of known error variance and preliminary model selection using a hypothesis test. They found that the performance of this confidence interval was not substantially better than the usual confidence interval based on the full model, with the same minimum coverage. We extend this assessment to the case of unknown error variance by deriving a computationally convenient exact formula for the ideal (i.e. in the limit as the number of bootstrap replications diverges to infinity) delta method approximation to the standard deviation of the bootstrap smoothed estimator. Our results show that, unlike the known error variance case, there are circumstances in which this confidence interval has attractive properties.
Recently, Kabaila and Wijethunga assessed the performance of a confidence interval centred on a bootstrap smoothed estimator, with width proportional to an estimator of Efrons delta method approximation to the standard deviation of this estimator. They used a testbed situation consisting of two nested linear regression models, with error variance assumed known, and model selection using a preliminary hypothesis test. This assessment was in terms of coverage and scaled expected length, where the scaling is with respect to the expected length of the usual confidence interval with the same minimum coverage probability. They found that this confidence interval has scaled expected length that (a) has a maximum value that may be much greater than 1 and (b) is greater than a number slightly less than 1 when the simpler model is correct. We therefore ask the following question. For a confidence interval, centred on the bootstrap smoothed estimator, does there exist a formula for its data-based width such that, in this testbed situation, it has the desired minimum coverage and scaled expected length that (a) has a maximum value that is not too much larger than 1 and (b) is substantially less than 1 when the simpler model is correct? Using a recent decision-theoretic performance bound due to Kabaila and Kong, it is shown that the answer to this question is `no for a wide range of scenarios.
This study aims to evaluate the performance of power in the likelihood ratio test for changepoint detection by bootstrap sampling, and proposes a hypothesis test based on bootstrapped confidence interval lengths. Assuming i.i.d normally distributed errors, and using the bootstrap method, the changepoint sampling distribution is estimated. Furthermore, this study describes a method to estimate a data set with no changepoint to form the null sampling distribution. With the null sampling distribution, and the distribution of the estimated changepoint, critical values and power calculations can be made, over the lengths of confidence intervals.
Introductory texts on statistics typically only cover the classical two sigma confidence interval for the mean value and do not describe methods to obtain confidence intervals for other estimators. The present technical report fills this gap by first defining different methods for the construction of confidence intervals, and then by their application to a binomial proportion, the mean value, and to arbitrary estimators. Beside the frequentist approach, the likelihood ratio and the highest posterior density approach are explained. Two methods to estimate the variance of general maximum likelihood estimators are described (Hessian, Jackknife), and for arbitrary estimators the bootstrap is suggested. For three examples, the different methods are evaluated by means of Monte Carlo simulations with respect to their coverage probability and interval length. R code is given for all methods, and the practitioner obtains a guideline which method should be used in which cases.
We consider a linear regression model with regression parameter beta=(beta_1,...,beta_p) and independent and identically N(0,sigma^2) distributed errors. Suppose that the parameter of interest is theta = a^T beta where a is a specified vector. Define the parameter tau=c^T beta-t where the vector c and the number t are specified and a and c are linearly independent. Also suppose that we have uncertain prior information that tau = 0. We present a new frequentist 1-alpha confidence interval for theta that utilizes this prior information. We require this confidence interval to (a) have endpoints that are continuous functions of the data and (b) coincide with the standard 1-alpha confidence interval when the data strongly contradicts this prior information. This interval is optimal in the sense that it has minimum weighted average expected length where the largest weight is given to this expected length when tau=0. This minimization leads to an interval that has the following desirable properties. This interval has expected length that (a) is relatively small when the prior information about tau is correct and (b) has a maximum value that is not too large. The following problem will be used to illustrate the application of this new confidence interval. Consider a 2-by 2 factorial experiment with 20 replicates. Suppose that the parameter of interest theta is a specified simple effect and that we have uncertain prior information that the two-factor interaction is zero. Our aim is to find a frequentist 0.95 confidence interval for theta that utilizes this prior information.