A Comparison of Tests for Heteroscedasticity in Linear Models

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Comparison of Tests for Heteroscedasticity in Linear Models A comparison of tests for heteroscedasticity in linear models Antonella Plaia University of Palermo, Institute of Statistics, Faculty of Economics Viale delle Scienze 90128 Palermo, Italy E-mail: [email protected] Rosaria Russo University of Palermo, Institute of Statistics, Faculty of Economics Viale delle Scienze 90128 Palermo, Italy 1. Introduction A plenty of tests for heteroscedasticity, that can be applied in different situations, have been proposed since Neyman and Pearson ‘s one in 1931. It was Anscombe, in his paper published in 1961, the first to analyse the problem in the context of (multiple) linear regression models. In the present paper, starting from a comparison proposed by Lion and Tsai (1995), we consider some tests based on the likelihood function, to be applied to the residuals of ordinary least squares. The presence of nuisance parameters (the regression coefficients and the scale parameter), and the necessity to neutralise their effects on the inference on the parameters of the variance function, suggests the use of some modified likelihood functions: the profile likelihood, the modified profile l. (Cox and Reid, 1987), the adjusted profile l. (Cox and Reid, 1993), the conditional profile l. (Honda, 1989), the residual l. (Verbyla, 1993). All these functions, built basing on the principles of the conditional inference (Cox, 1988, Cox and Hinkley, 1974) with the aim to remove or to reduce the effects of the nuisance parameters, produced different likelihood ratio tests and score tests, all asymptotically χ2 distributed, with the proper degrees of freedom. Our aim is to carry out, by Monte-Carlo simulation, a comparative analysis that, beside the common evaluation of the power and the robustness of the different tests in the presence of non- normal errors, considers the peculiar aspects and problems when verifying heteroscedasticity in the regression models. Actually, the use of the likelihood function, in its original or modified version, needs for the specification of the variance function under the alternative hypothesis , and it is important to assess the sensitiveness of the different tests specification errors of the variance function. The above mentioned tests are generally applied to the sample ordinary least squares residuals that, due to the estimation process, are correlated and with non-constant variance, even for a model with independent and homoscedastic errors; therefore it is necessary to verify if all the tests are sufficiently and equally sensitive to these distributional aspects of residuals. Moreover, it is important: a) to verify, conditions being equal, the adequacy of the approximation to the asymptotic distribution for the different tests, especially on the distribution tails, even for moderate samples; b) then, estimating, for different sample sizes, the real significance level of each test, to find, by comparing it with the nominal one, which test, and in what measure, performs better in the presence of moderate or small samples, and, moreover, what sample size assures a good degree of approximation. In this context the so called small sample asymptotic techniques have been proposed in literature, among which the “Bartlett type corrections” (Bartlett 1937), and the “saddlepoint approximations” (Daniels, 1954). But their application to tests based on likelihood function is not so easy; our aim is to apply Bartlett type corrections to improve the test, or to consider saddlepoint approximations to get a better critical value, to those of the above mentioned tests that appear optimal from some theoretical point of view or to be preferred in real situations. REFERENCES Anscombe, S. J. (1961). Examination of residuals. Proc. 4th Berkeley Symp. On mathematical Statistics and Probability, 1-37. Barndoff-Nielsen O. E. (1994) Inference and Asymptotics. Chapman & Hall Cox. D.R. (1988). Some aspects of conditional and asymptotic inference: a review. Sunkya vol. 50. A. part III, 314-337. Cox, D.R., Hinkley, D.V. (1974). Theoretical Statistics. London: Chapman and Hall. Cox. D.R.; Reid. N. (1987) Parameter orthogonality and approximate conditional inference, J. R. Statist. Soc. B. 49, 1-39 Honda. Y. (1989) On the optimality of some tests of the error covariance matrix in the linear regression model. J. R. Statist. Soc. B, 51,. 71-79 Lyon. J. D.; Tsai. C. L. (1996) A comparison of tests for heteroscedasticity. The Statistician 45, 3, 337-349 Verbyla A. P. (1993) Modelling variance heterogeneity: residual maximum likelihood and diagnostics. J. R. Statist. Soc. B 55, 493-508. RESUME Dans cette communication on propose l’application des corrections genre Bartlett et des approximations “saddlepoint” à quelques tests pour le contrôle de l’homogénéité de la variance des erreurs dans modeles lineaires..
Recommended publications
  • Heteroscedastic Errors
    Heteroscedastic Errors ◮ Sometimes plots and/or tests show that the error variances 2 σi = Var(ǫi ) depend on i ◮ Several standard approaches to fixing the problem, depending on the nature of the dependence. ◮ Weighted Least Squares. ◮ Transformation of the response. ◮ Generalized Linear Models. Richard Lockhart STAT 350: Heteroscedastic Errors and GLIM Weighted Least Squares ◮ Suppose variances are known except for a constant factor. 2 2 ◮ That is, σi = σ /wi . ◮ Use weighted least squares. (See Chapter 10 in the text.) ◮ This usually arises realistically in the following situations: ◮ Yi is an average of ni measurements where you know ni . Then wi = ni . 2 ◮ Plots suggest that σi might be proportional to some power of 2 γ γ some covariate: σi = kxi . Then wi = xi− . Richard Lockhart STAT 350: Heteroscedastic Errors and GLIM Variances depending on (mean of) Y ◮ Two standard approaches are available: ◮ Older approach is transformation. ◮ Newer approach is use of generalized linear model; see STAT 402. Richard Lockhart STAT 350: Heteroscedastic Errors and GLIM Transformation ◮ Compute Yi∗ = g(Yi ) for some function g like logarithm or square root. ◮ Then regress Yi∗ on the covariates. ◮ This approach sometimes works for skewed response variables like income; ◮ after transformation we occasionally find the errors are more nearly normal, more homoscedastic and that the model is simpler. ◮ See page 130ff and check under transformations and Box-Cox in the index. Richard Lockhart STAT 350: Heteroscedastic Errors and GLIM Generalized Linear Models ◮ Transformation uses the model T E(g(Yi )) = xi β while generalized linear models use T g(E(Yi )) = xi β ◮ Generally latter approach offers more flexibility.
    [Show full text]
  • Power Comparisons of the Mann-Whitney U and Permutation Tests
    Power Comparisons of the Mann-Whitney U and Permutation Tests Abstract: Though the Mann-Whitney U-test and permutation tests are often used in cases where distribution assumptions for the two-sample t-test for equal means are not met, it is not widely understood how the powers of the two tests compare. Our goal was to discover under what circumstances the Mann-Whitney test has greater power than the permutation test. The tests’ powers were compared under various conditions simulated from the Weibull distribution. Under most conditions, the permutation test provided greater power, especially with equal sample sizes and with unequal standard deviations. However, the Mann-Whitney test performed better with highly skewed data. Background and Significance: In many psychological, biological, and clinical trial settings, distributional differences among testing groups render parametric tests requiring normality, such as the z test and t test, unreliable. In these situations, nonparametric tests become necessary. Blair and Higgins (1980) illustrate the empirical invalidity of claims made in the mid-20th century that t and F tests used to detect differences in population means are highly insensitive to violations of distributional assumptions, and that non-parametric alternatives possess lower power. Through power testing, Blair and Higgins demonstrate that the Mann-Whitney test has much higher power relative to the t-test, particularly under small sample conditions. This seems to be true even when Welch’s approximation and pooled variances are used to “account” for violated t-test assumptions (Glass et al. 1972). With the proliferation of powerful computers, computationally intensive alternatives to the Mann-Whitney test have become possible.
    [Show full text]
  • Research Report Statistical Research Unit Goteborg University Sweden
    Research Report Statistical Research Unit Goteborg University Sweden Testing for multivariate heteroscedasticity Thomas Holgersson Ghazi Shukur Research Report 2003:1 ISSN 0349-8034 Mailing address: Fax Phone Home Page: Statistical Research Nat: 031-77312 74 Nat: 031-77310 00 http://www.stat.gu.se/stat Unit P.O. Box 660 Int: +4631 773 12 74 Int: +4631 773 1000 SE 405 30 G6teborg Sweden Testing for Multivariate Heteroscedasticity By H.E.T. Holgersson Ghazi Shukur Department of Statistics Jonkoping International GOteborg university Business school SE-405 30 GOteborg SE-55 111 Jonkoping Sweden Sweden Abstract: In this paper we propose a testing technique for multivariate heteroscedasticity, which is expressed as a test of linear restrictions in a multivariate regression model. Four test statistics with known asymptotical null distributions are suggested, namely the Wald (W), Lagrange Multiplier (LM), Likelihood Ratio (LR) and the multivariate Rao F-test. The critical values for the statistics are determined by their asymptotic null distributions, but also bootstrapped critical values are used. The size, power and robustness of the tests are examined in a Monte Carlo experiment. Our main findings are that all the tests limit their nominal sizes asymptotically, but some of them have superior small sample properties. These are the F, LM and bootstrapped versions of Wand LR tests. Keywords: heteroscedasticity, hypothesis test, bootstrap, multivariate analysis. I. Introduction In the last few decades a variety of methods has been proposed for testing for heteroscedasticity among the error terms in e.g. linear regression models. The assumption of homoscedasticity means that the disturbance variance should be constant (or homoscedastic) at each observation.
    [Show full text]
  • T-Statistic Based Correlation and Heterogeneity Robust Inference
    t-Statistic Based Correlation and Heterogeneity Robust Inference Rustam IBRAGIMOV Economics Department, Harvard University, 1875 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 Ulrich K. MÜLLER Economics Department, Princeton University, Fisher Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 ([email protected]) We develop a general approach to robust inference about a scalar parameter of interest when the data is potentially heterogeneous and correlated in a largely unknown way. The key ingredient is the following result of Bakirov and Székely (2005) concerning the small sample properties of the standard t-test: For a significance level of 5% or lower, the t-test remains conservative for underlying observations that are independent and Gaussian with heterogenous variances. One might thus conduct robust large sample inference as follows: partition the data into q ≥ 2 groups, estimate the model for each group, and conduct a standard t-test with the resulting q parameter estimators of interest. This results in valid and in some sense efficient inference when the groups are chosen in a way that ensures the parameter estimators to be asymptotically independent, unbiased and Gaussian of possibly different variances. We provide examples of how to apply this approach to time series, panel, clustered and spatially correlated data. KEY WORDS: Dependence; Fama–MacBeth method; Least favorable distribution; t-test; Variance es- timation. 1. INTRODUCTION property of the correlations. The key ingredient to the strategy is a result by Bakirov and Székely (2005) concerning the small Empirical analyses in economics often face the difficulty that sample properties of the usual t-test used for inference on the the data is correlated and heterogeneous in some unknown fash- mean of independent normal variables: For significance levels ion.
    [Show full text]
  • Two-Way Heteroscedastic ANOVA When the Number of Levels Is Large
    Two-way Heteroscedastic ANOVA when the Number of Levels is Large Short Running Title: Two-way ANOVA Lan Wang 1 and Michael G. Akritas 2 Revision: January, 2005 Abstract We consider testing the main treatment e®ects and interaction e®ects in crossed two-way layout when one factor or both factors have large number of levels. Random errors are allowed to be nonnormal and heteroscedastic. In heteroscedastic case, we propose new test statistics. The asymptotic distributions of our test statistics are derived under both the null hypothesis and local alternatives. The sample size per treatment combination can either be ¯xed or tend to in¯nity. Numerical simulations indicate that the proposed procedures have good power properties and maintain approximately the nominal ®-level with small sample sizes. A real data set from a study evaluating forty varieties of winter wheat in a large-scale agricultural trial is analyzed. Key words: heteroscedasticity, large number of factor levels, unbalanced designs, quadratic forms, projection method, local alternatives 1385 Ford Hall, School of Statistics, University of Minnesota, 224 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Email: [email protected], phone: (612) 625-7843, fax: (612) 624-8868. 2414 Thomas Building, Department of Statistics, the Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802. E-mail: [email protected], phone: (814) 865-3631, fax: (814) 863-7114. 1 Introduction In many experiments, data are collected in the form of a crossed two-way layout. If we let Xijk denote the k-th response associated with the i-th level of factor A and j -th level of factor B, then the classical two-way ANOVA model speci¯es that: Xijk = ¹ + ®i + ¯j + γij + ²ijk (1.1) where i = 1; : : : ; a; j = 1; : : : ; b; k = 1; 2; : : : ; nij, and to be identi¯able the parameters Pa Pb Pa Pb are restricted by conditions such as i=1 ®i = j=1 ¯j = i=1 γij = j=1 γij = 0.
    [Show full text]
  • Profiling Heteroscedasticity in Linear Regression Models
    358 The Canadian Journal of Statistics Vol. 43, No. 3, 2015, Pages 358–377 La revue canadienne de statistique Profiling heteroscedasticity in linear regression models Qian M. ZHOU1*, Peter X.-K. SONG2 and Mary E. THOMPSON3 1Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada 2Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A. 3Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Key words and phrases: Heteroscedasticity; hybrid test; information ratio; linear regression models; model- based estimators; sandwich estimators; screening; weighted least squares. MSC 2010: Primary 62J05; secondary 62J20 Abstract: Diagnostics for heteroscedasticity in linear regression models have been intensively investigated in the literature. However, limited attention has been paid on how to identify covariates associated with heteroscedastic error variances. This problem is critical in correctly modelling the variance structure in weighted least squares estimation, which leads to improved estimation efficiency. We propose covariate- specific statistics based on information ratios formed as comparisons between the model-based and sandwich variance estimators. A two-step diagnostic procedure is established, first to detect heteroscedasticity in error variances, and then to identify covariates the error variance structure might depend on. This proposed method is generalized to accommodate practical complications, such as when covariates associated with the heteroscedastic variances might not be associated with the mean structure of the response variable, or when strong correlation is present amongst covariates. The performance of the proposed method is assessed via a simulation study and is illustrated through a data analysis in which we show the importance of correct identification of covariates associated with the variance structure in estimation and inference.
    [Show full text]
  • Iterative Approaches to Handling Heteroscedasticity with Partially Known Error Variances
    International Journal of Statistics and Probability; Vol. 8, No. 2; March 2019 ISSN 1927-7032 E-ISSN 1927-7040 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Iterative Approaches to Handling Heteroscedasticity With Partially Known Error Variances Morteza Marzjarani Correspondence: Morteza Marzjarani, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Galveston Laboratory, 4700 Avenue U, Galveston, Texas 77551, USA. Received: January 30, 2019 Accepted: February 20, 2019 Online Published: February 22, 2019 doi:10.5539/ijsp.v8n2p159 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/ijsp.v8n2p159 Abstract Heteroscedasticity plays an important role in data analysis. In this article, this issue along with a few different approaches for handling heteroscedasticity are presented. First, an iterative weighted least square (IRLS) and an iterative feasible generalized least square (IFGLS) are deployed and proper weights for reducing heteroscedasticity are determined. Next, a new approach for handling heteroscedasticity is introduced. In this approach, through fitting a multiple linear regression (MLR) model or a general linear model (GLM) to a sufficiently large data set, the data is divided into two parts through the inspection of the residuals based on the results of testing for heteroscedasticity, or via simulations. The first part contains the records where the absolute values of the residuals could be assumed small enough to the point that heteroscedasticity would be ignorable. Under this assumption, the error variances are small and close to their neighboring points. Such error variances could be assumed known (but, not necessarily equal).The second or the remaining portion of the said data is categorized as heteroscedastic. Through real data sets, it is concluded that this approach reduces the number of unusual (such as influential) data points suggested for further inspection and more importantly, it will lowers the root MSE (RMSE) resulting in a more robust set of parameter estimates.
    [Show full text]
  • Logistic Regression, Part I: Problems with the Linear Probability Model
    Logistic Regression, Part I: Problems with the Linear Probability Model (LPM) Richard Williams, University of Notre Dame, https://www3.nd.edu/~rwilliam/ Last revised February 22, 2015 This handout steals heavily from Linear probability, logit, and probit models, by John Aldrich and Forrest Nelson, paper # 45 in the Sage series on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences. INTRODUCTION. We are often interested in qualitative dependent variables: • Voting (does or does not vote) • Marital status (married or not) • Fertility (have children or not) • Immigration attitudes (opposes immigration or supports it) In the next few handouts, we will examine different techniques for analyzing qualitative dependent variables; in particular, dichotomous dependent variables. We will first examine the problems with using OLS, and then present logistic regression as a more desirable alternative. OLS AND DICHOTOMOUS DEPENDENT VARIABLES. While estimates derived from regression analysis may be robust against violations of some assumptions, other assumptions are crucial, and violations of them can lead to unreasonable estimates. Such is often the case when the dependent variable is a qualitative measure rather than a continuous, interval measure. If OLS Regression is done with a qualitative dependent variable • it may seriously misestimate the magnitude of the effects of IVs • all of the standard statistical inferences (e.g. hypothesis tests, construction of confidence intervals) are unjustified • regression estimates will be highly sensitive to the range of particular values observed (thus making extrapolations or forecasts beyond the range of the data especially unjustified) OLS REGRESSION AND THE LINEAR PROBABILITY MODEL (LPM). The regression model places no restrictions on the values that the independent variables take on.
    [Show full text]
  • Lecture 3: Heteroscedasticity
    Chapter 4 Lecture 3: Heteroscedasticity In many situations, the Gauss-Markov conditions will not be satisfied. These are: E[ǫ] = 0 i = 1,...,n ǫ X ⊥ 2 Var(ǫ)= σ In We consider the model Y = Xβ + ǫ. Suppose that, conditioned on X, ǫ has covariance matrix Var(ǫ X)= σ2Ψ | where Ψ depends on X. Recall that the OLS estimator βOLS of β is: t −1 t b t −1 t βOLS =(X X) X Y = β +(X X) X ǫ. Therefore, conditioned on X,b the covariance matrix of βOLS is: 2 t b−1 t −1 Var(βOLS X)= σ (X X) Ψ(X X) . | If Ψ = I, then the proof of the Gauss-Markov theorem, that the OLS estimator is BLUE breaks down; 6 b the OLS estimator is unbiased, but no longer best in the least squares sense. 4.1 Estimation when Ψ is known If Ψ is known, let P denote a non-singular n n matrix such that P tP =Ψ−1. Such a matrix exists × and P ΨP t = I. Consequently, E[Pǫ X] = 0 and Var(Pǫ X) = σ2I, which does not depend on X. | | It follows that the Gauss-Markov conditions are satisfied for Pǫ. The entire model may therefore be transformed: 41 PY = PXβ + Pǫ which may be written as: Y ∗ = X∗β + ǫ∗. This model satisfies the Gauss Markov conditions and the resulting estimator, which is BLUE, is: ∗t ∗ −1 ∗t t −1 −1 t −1 βGLS =(X X ) X Y =(X Ψ X) X Ψ Y. Here GLS stands for Generlisedb Least Squares.
    [Show full text]
  • Non-Parametric Vs. Parametric Tests in SAS® Venita Depuy and Paul A
    NESUG 17 Analysis Perusing, Choosing, and Not Mis-using: ® Non-parametric vs. Parametric Tests in SAS Venita DePuy and Paul A. Pappas, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC ABSTRACT spread is less easy to quantify but is often represented by Most commonly used statistical procedures, such as the t- the interquartile range, which is simply the difference test, are based on the assumption of normality. The field between the first and third quartiles. of non-parametric statistics provides equivalent procedures that do not require normality, but often require DETERMINING NORMALITY assumptions such as equal variances. Parametric tests (OR LACK THEREOF) (which assume normality) are often used on non-normal One of the first steps in test selection should be data; even non-parametric tests are used when their investigating the distribution of the data. PROC assumptions are violated. This paper will provide an UNIVARIATE can be implemented to help determine overview of parametric tests and their non-parametric whether or not your data are normal. This procedure equivalents; what assumptions are required for each test; ® generates a variety of summary statistics, such as the how to perform the tests in SAS ; and guidelines for when mean and median, as well as numerical representations of both sets of assumptions are violated. properties such as skewness and kurtosis. Procedures covered will include PROCs ANOVA, CORR, If the population from which the data are obtained is NPAR1WAY, TTEST and UNIVARIATE. Discussion will normal, the mean and median should be equal or close to include assumptions and assumption violations, equal. The skewness coefficient, which is a measure of robustness, and exact versus approximate tests.
    [Show full text]
  • Alternative Methods of Adjusting for Heteroscedasticity in Wheat Growth Data
    Alternative Methods of Adjusting for Heteroscedasticity in Wheat Growth Data Economics, Statistics, and ~ Cooperatives Service U. S. Department of Agriculture Washington, D. C. 20250 ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF ADJUSTING FOR HETEROSCEDASTICITY IN WHEAT GROWTH DATA By Greg A. Larsen Mathematical Statistician Research and Development Branch Statistical Research Division Economicst Statistics and Cooperatives Service United States Department of Agriculture Washingtont D. C. February t 1978 Table of Contents Page Index of Diagrams, Tables and Figures v Acknowledgements vii Introduction 1 Basic Logistic Growth Model 4 The Log Transformation 5 Weighted Least Squares 14 An Application To Forecasting 21 Conclusions 24 Figures 25 i i i Index of Diagrams, Tables and Figures Page Diagram 1 Illustrates the effect of five different log trans- 6 formations on several values of the dependent variable y. Table 1 Summary of regression, parameter estimation and 9 correlation for the unadjusted model and four log models. Table 2 Estimated standard deviation and number of obser- 15 vations in seven intervals of the independent time variab 1e t. Table 3 Summary of regression, parameter estimation and 18 correlation for the unadjusted model and the YHAT adjusted model Table 4 Estimated standard deviation and number of obser- 19 vations in seven intervals of the independent time variable t after a questionable sample had been removed. Table 5 Summary of regression, parameter estimation and 22 correlation for the unadjusted model and three adjusted models with four weeks of data and the complete data set. Figure Plot of the untransformed data and the estimated 25 values of the dependent variable y. Figure 2 Residual plot corresponding to Figure 1 26 Figure 3 Plot of the transformed data and the estimated 27 values of the transformed dependent variable.
    [Show full text]
  • Skedastic: Heteroskedasticity Diagnostics for Linear Regression
    Package ‘skedastic’ June 14, 2021 Type Package Title Heteroskedasticity Diagnostics for Linear Regression Models Version 1.0.3 Description Implements numerous methods for detecting heteroskedasticity (sometimes called heteroscedasticity) in the classical linear regression model. These include a test based on Anscombe (1961) <https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.bsmsp/1200512155>, Ramsey's (1969) BAMSET Test <doi:10.1111/j.2517-6161.1969.tb00796.x>, the tests of Bickel (1978) <doi:10.1214/aos/1176344124>, Breusch and Pagan (1979) <doi:10.2307/1911963> with and without the modification proposed by Koenker (1981) <doi:10.1016/0304-4076(81)90062-2>, Carapeto and Holt (2003) <doi:10.1080/0266476022000018475>, Cook and Weisberg (1983) <doi:10.1093/biomet/70.1.1> (including their graphical methods), Diblasi and Bowman (1997) <doi:10.1016/S0167-7152(96)00115-0>, Dufour, Khalaf, Bernard, and Genest (2004) <doi:10.1016/j.jeconom.2003.10.024>, Evans and King (1985) <doi:10.1016/0304-4076(85)90085-5> and Evans and King (1988) <doi:10.1016/0304-4076(88)90006-1>, Glejser (1969) <doi:10.1080/01621459.1969.10500976> as formulated by Mittelhammer, Judge and Miller (2000, ISBN: 0-521-62394-4), Godfrey and Orme (1999) <doi:10.1080/07474939908800438>, Goldfeld and Quandt (1965) <doi:10.1080/01621459.1965.10480811>, Harrison and McCabe (1979) <doi:10.1080/01621459.1979.10482544>, Harvey (1976) <doi:10.2307/1913974>, Honda (1989) <doi:10.1111/j.2517-6161.1989.tb01749.x>, Horn (1981) <doi:10.1080/03610928108828074>, Li and Yao (2019) <doi:10.1016/j.ecosta.2018.01.001>
    [Show full text]