A Bayesian Computer Model Analysis of Robust Bayesian Analyses
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An Overview of Robust Bayesian Analysis* JAMES O
Test (] 994) Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 5-124 An Overview of Robust Bayesian Analysis* JAMES O. BERGER Department of Statistics, Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907-1399, U.S.A. [Read before the Spanish Statistical Society at a meeting organized by the Universidad Aut6noma de Madrid on Friday, November 19, 1993] SUMMARY Robust Bayesian analysis is the study of the sensitivity of Bayesian answers to uncertain inputs. This paper seeks to provide an overview of the subject, one that is accessible to statisticians outside the field. Recent developments in the area are also reviewed, though with very uneven emphasis. The topics to be covered are as follows: 1. Introduction 1.1 Motivation 1.2 Preview 1.3 Notation 2. Development of Inherently Robust Procedures 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Use of Flat-tailed Distributions 2.3 Use of Noninformative and Partially Informative Priors 2.4 Nonparametric Bayes Procedures 3. Diagnostics, Influence, and Sensitivity 3.1 Diagnostics 3.2 Influence and Sensitivity 4. Global Robustness 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Parametric Classes 4.3 Nonparametric Classes of Priors 4.3.1 Factors Involved in Choosing a Class 4.3.2 Common Classes 4.3.3 Application to Hypothesis Testing and Ockham's Razor Received November 93; Revised February 94. * Research supported by the National Science Foundation, Grants DMS-8923071 and DMS 93-03556. 6 James O. Berger 4.4 Nonparametric Classes of Likelihoods 4.5 Limitations of Global Robustness 4.6 Optimal Robust Procedures 5. Computing 5.1 Computational Issues 5.2 Interactive Elicitation 6. Future Directions 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. -
Robust Bayes Estimation Using the Density Power Divergence
Ann Inst Stat Math (2016) 68:413–437 DOI 10.1007/s10463-014-0499-0 Robust Bayes estimation using the density power divergence Abhik Ghosh · Ayanendranath Basu Received: 13 October 2013 / Revised: 24 October 2014 / Published online: 1 January 2015 © The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo 2014 Abstract The ordinary Bayes estimator based on the posterior density can have poten- tial problems with outliers. Using the density power divergence measure, we develop an estimation method in this paper based on the so-called “R(α)-posterior density”; this construction uses the concept of priors in Bayesian context and generates highly robust estimators with good efficiency under the true model. We develop the asymp- totic properties of the proposed estimator and illustrate its performance numerically. Keywords Pseudo-posterior · Robustness · Bayes estimation · Density power divergence 1 Introduction Among different statistical paradigms, the Bayesian approach is logical in many ways and it is often easy to communicate with others in this language while solving real-life statistical problems. However, the ordinary Bayes estimator, which is based on the usual posterior density, can have potential problems with outliers. Recently Hooker and Vidyashankar (2014), hereafter HV, proposed a methodology for robust inference in the Bayesian context using disparities (Lindsay 1994) yielding efficient and robust estimators. It is a remarkable proposal and has many nice properties. However, there are also some practical difficulties which may limit its applicability. The proposal involves the use of a nonparametric kernel density estimator, and hence the associated issues and A. Ghosh · A. Basu (B) Interdisciplinary Statistical Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 B. -
Imprecise Dirichlet Process with Application to the Hypothesis Test on the Probability That X ≤Y
Submitted to Journal of Statistical Theory and Practice Vol. 00, No. 00, Month 201X, 1–24 Imprecise Dirichlet process with application to the hypothesis test on the probability that X ≤ Y Alessio Benavoli1 and Francesca Mangili1 and Fabrizio Ruggeri2 and Marco Zaffalon1 1 IPG IDSIA, Manno, Switzerland 2 CNR IMATI, Milano, Italy (Received 00 Month 201X; final version received 00 Month 201X) The Dirichlet process (DP) is one of the most popular Bayesian nonparametric models. An open problem with the DP is how to choose its infinite-dimensional parameter (base measure) in case of lack of prior information. In this work we present the Imprecise DP (IDP)—a prior near-ignorance DP-based model that does not require any choice of this probability measure. It consists of a class of DPs obtained by letting the normalized base measure of the DP vary in the set of all probability measures. We discuss the tight connections of this approach with Bayesian robustness and in particular prior near-ignorance modeling via sets of probabilities. We use this model to perform a Bayesian hypothesis test on the probability P(X ≤ Y). We study the theoretical properties of the IDP test (e.g., asymptotic consistency), and compare it with the frequentist Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon rank test that is commonly employed as a test on P(X ≤ Y). In particular we will show that our method is more robust, in the sense that it is able to isolate instances in which the aforementioned test is virtually guessing at random. AMS Subject Classification: 62G10; 62G35. Keywords: Bayesian nonparametric test, Imprecise Dirichlet Process, Wilcoxon rank sum. -
Robust Bayesian Reliability for Complex Systems Under Prior- Data Conflict
Robust Bayesian reliability for complex systems under prior- data conflict Citation for published version (APA): Walter, G., & Coolen, F. P. A. (2018). Robust Bayesian reliability for complex systems under prior-data conflict. ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part A: Civil Engineering, 4(3), [04018025]. https://doi.org/10.1061/AJRUA6.0000974 DOI: 10.1061/AJRUA6.0000974 Document status and date: Published: 01/09/2018 Document Version: Accepted manuscript including changes made at the peer-review stage Please check the document version of this publication: • A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers. Link to publication General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal. -
Bayesian Linear Regression — Different Conjugate Models and Their (In)Sensitivity to Prior-Data Conflict
CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Open Access LMU Gero Walter & Thomas Augustin Bayesian Linear Regression — Different Conjugate Models and Their (In)Sensitivity to Prior-Data Conflict Technical Report Number 069, 2009 Department of Statistics University of Munich http://www.stat.uni-muenchen.de Bayesian Linear Regression — Different Conjugate Models and Their (In)Sensitivity to Prior-Data Conflict Gero Walter and Thomas Augustin, Institut fur¨ Statistik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat¨ Munchen¨ [email protected] [email protected] Abstract The paper is concerned with Bayesian analysis under prior-data conflict, i.e. the situation when ob- served data are rather unexpected under the prior (and the sample size is not large enough to eliminate the influence of the prior). Two approaches for Bayesian linear regression modeling based on conju- gate priors are considered in detail, namely the standard approach also described in Fahrmeir, Kneib & Lang (2007) and an alternative adoption of the general construction procedure for exponential family sampling models. We recognize that – in contrast to some standard i.i.d. models like the scaled normal model and the Beta-Binomial / Dirichlet-Multinomial model, where prior-data conflict is completely ignored – the models may show some reaction to prior-data conflict, however in a rather unspecific way. Finally we briefly sketch the extension to a corresponding imprecise probability model, where, by considering sets of prior distributions instead of a single prior, prior-data conflict can be handled in a very appealing and intuitive way. Key words: Linear regression; conjugate analysis; prior-data conflict; imprecise probability 1 Introduction Regression analysis is a central tool in applied statistics that aims to answer the omnipresent question how certain variables (called covariates / confounders, regressors, stimulus or independent variables, here denoted by x) influence a certain outcome (called response or dependent variable, here denoted by z). -
Arxiv:1402.2755V2
Imprecise Dirichlet process with application to the hypothesis test on the probability that X Y ≤ Alessio Benavolia, Francesca Mangilia, Fabrizio Ruggerib, Marco Zaffalona a IPG IDSIA, Manno, Switzerland b CNR IMATI, Milano, Italy Abstract The Dirichlet process (DP) is one of the most popular Bayesian nonparametric models. An open problem with the DP is how to choose its infinite-dimensional parameter (base measure) in case of lack of prior information. In this work we present the Imprecise DP (IDP)—a prior near-ignorance DP-based model that does not require any choice of this probability measure. It consists of a class of DPs obtained by letting the normalized base measure of the DP vary in the set of all probability measures. We discuss the tight connections of this approach with Bayesian robustness and in particular prior near-ignorance modeling via sets of probabilities. We use this model to perform a Bayesian hypothesis test on the probability P(X Y ). We study the theoretical properties of the IDP test (e.g., asymptotic consistency), and compare≤ it with the frequentist Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxonrank test that is commonlyemployedas a test on P(X Y ). In particular we will show that our method is more robust, in the sense that it is able to isolate≤ instances in which the aforementioned test is virtually guessing at random. Keywords: Bayesian nonparametric test, Imprecise Dirichlet Process, Wilcoxon rank sum. 1. Introduction The Dirichlet process (DP) is one of the most popular Bayesian nonparametric models. It was introduced by Ferguson (1973) as a prior over probability distributions. In his seminal paper, Ferguson showed that the DP leads to tractable posterior inferencesand can be used for Bayesian analysis of several nonparametric models, such as the estimation of a distribution function, of a mean, of quantiles, of a variance, etc. -
Robust Bayesian Inference for Set-Identified Models
Robust Bayesian inference for set-identified models Raffaella Giacomini Toru Kitagawa The Institute for Fiscal Studies Department of Economics, UCL cemmap working paper CWP61/18 Robust Bayesian Inference for Set-Identified Models ∗ Raffaella Giacomini†and Toru Kitagawa‡ This draft: October 2018 Abstract This paper reconciles the asymptotic disagreement between Bayesian and frequentist in- ference in set-identified models by adopting a multiple-prior (robust) Bayesian approach. We propose new tools for Bayesian inference in set-identified models. We show that these tools have a well-defined posterior interpretation in finite samples and are asymptotically valid fromthe frequentist perspective. The main idea is to construct a prior class that removes the source of the disagreement: the need to specify an unrevisable prior. The corresponding class of posteriors can be summarized by reporting the ‘posterior lower and upper probabilities’ of a given event and/or the ‘set of posterior means’ and the associated ‘robust credible region’. We show that the set of posterior means is a consistent estimator of the true identified set and the robust credible region has the correct frequentist asymptotic coverage for the true identified set if it is convex. Otherwise, the method can be interpreted as providing posterior inference about the convex hull of the identified set. For impulse-response analysis in set-identified Structural Vector Autoregressions, the new tools can be used to overcome or quantify the sensitivity of standard Bayesian inference to the choice of an unrevisable prior. Keywords: multiple priors, identified set, credible region, consistency, asymptotic coverage, identifying restrictions, impulse-response analysis. ∗This paper merges and extends two previously circulated (and now retired) working papers: Giacomini, R. -
Robust Bayes and Empirical Bayes Analysis with &Epsilon
Robust Bayes and Empirical Bayes Analysis with # -Contaminated Priors James Berger; L. Mark Berliner The Annals of Statistics, Vol. 14, No. 2. (Jun., 1986), pp. 461-486. Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0090-5364%28198606%2914%3A2%3C461%3ARBAEBA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-J The Annals of Statistics is currently published by Institute of Mathematical Statistics. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/about/terms.html. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/journals/ims.html. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to and preserving a digital archive of scholarly journals. For more information regarding JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. http://www.jstor.org Mon May 21 10:06:28 2007 i\iiii<~Ls<~,fStnt~stirx I!JHli. VoI. 14, No. 9, 461-4Rf; ROBUST BAYES AND EMPIRICAL BAYES ANALYSIS WITH E-CONTAMINATEDPRIORS Purdue University and Ohio State University For Bayesian analysis, an attractive method of modelling uncertainty in the prior distribution is through use of E-contaminationclasses, i.e., classes of distributions which have the form li = (1 - E)$ + ~q,110 being the base elicited prior, q being a "contamination," and E reflecting the amount of error in T,, that is deemed possible. -
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SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL PROGRAM Monday 09:00-10:30 Hotel Juan Carlos I Plenari Venue: Salón Maremagnum Domingo Pérez-Alonso (IBERDROLA) : Integration in the nodal society for the next millenium The current organization are already beginning to face the key challenge which will be a factor determining the success of the new companies of the 21st Century: competition based on mobilizing the full capacity of the people involved in the company or its environment, as well as the complete corpus of knowledge acquired. From the simple, and fortunately now distant, organization relationship set out by Fayol we are currently moving towards a much richer, more complex and multi-level business environment , as it is converting the individual into the central node of a tight web of relationships within the framework of the company, and the company itself into the node of a relational network included by other companies and individuals, functioning both as clients and as the suppliers of products and services. Monday 11:00-13:00 MB00 Tutorial Chair: Saul I. Gass Venue: Aula Master Thomas L. Saaty (University of Pittsburgh) : The analytic network decision process with dependence and feedback Decision making is the most central and pervasive human activity, intrinsic in our biology and done both consciously and unconsciously. We need it to survive. Everybody makes decisions all the time. Young and old, educated and uneducated, with ease or with great difficulty. Making a decision is not just a question of selecting a best alternative. Often one needs to prioritize all the alternatives for resource allocation, or to combine the strengths of preferences of individuals to form a collective preference.