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A Comparison of Bayes Factor Approximation Methods Including Two New Methods

Author

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  • Kenneth A. Bollen
  • Surajit Ray
  • Jane Zavisca
  • Jeffrey J. Harden

Abstract

Bayes factors (BFs) play an important role in comparing the fit of statistical models. However, computational limitations or lack of an appropriate prior sometimes prevent researchers from using exact BFs. Instead, it is approximated, often using the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) or a variant of BIC. The authors provide a comparison of several BF approximations, including two new approximations, the Scaled Unit Information Prior Bayesian Information Criterion (SPBIC) and Information matrix-based Bayesian Information Criterion (IBIC). The SPBIC uses a scaled unit information prior that is more general than the BIC’s unit information prior, and the IBIC utilizes more terms of approximation than the BIC. Through simulation, the authors show that several measures perform well in large samples, that performance declines in smaller samples, and that SPBIC and IBIC provide improvement to existing measures under some conditions, including small sample sizes. The authors illustrate the use of the fit measures with the crime data of Ehrlich and then conclude with recommendations for researchers.

Suggested Citation

  • Kenneth A. Bollen & Surajit Ray & Jane Zavisca & Jeffrey J. Harden, 2012. "A Comparison of Bayes Factor Approximation Methods Including Two New Methods," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 41(2), pages 294-324, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:41:y:2012:i:2:p:294-324
    DOI: 10.1177/0049124112452393
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ehrlich, Isaac, 1973. "Participation in Illegitimate Activities: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 521-565, May-June.
    2. James Berger & Elías Moreno & Luis Pericchi & M. Bayarri & José Bernardo & Juan Cano & Julián Horra & Jacinto Martín & David Ríos-Insúa & Bruno Betrò & A. Dasgupta & Paul Gustafson & Larry Wasserman &, 1994. "An overview of robust Bayesian analysis," TEST: An Official Journal of the Spanish Society of Statistics and Operations Research, Springer;Sociedad de Estadística e Investigación Operativa, vol. 3(1), pages 5-124, June.
    3. Fan J. & Li R., 2001. "Variable Selection via Nonconcave Penalized Likelihood and its Oracle Properties," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 96, pages 1348-1360, December.
    4. Sylvia. Richardson & Peter J. Green, 1997. "On Bayesian Analysis of Mixtures with an Unknown Number of Components (with discussion)," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series B, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 59(4), pages 731-792.
    5. Chris T. Volinsky & Adrian E. Raftery, 2000. "Bayesian Information Criterion for Censored Survival Models," Biometrics, The International Biometric Society, vol. 56(1), pages 256-262, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yiyun Shou & Michael Smithson, 2015. "Evaluating Predictors of Dispersion: A Comparison of Dominance Analysis and Bayesian Model Averaging," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 80(1), pages 236-256, March.

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