Restricted maximum likelihood estimation of a censored random effects panel regression model

Abstract

Panel data sets have been developed in various areas, and many recent studies have analyzed panel, or longitudinal data sets. Maximum likelihood (ML) may be the most common statistical method for analyzing panel data models; however, the inference based on the ML estimate will have an inflated Type I error because the ML method tends to give a downwardly biased estimate of variance components when the sample size is small. The under estimation could be severe when data is incomplete. This paper proposes the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method for a random effects panel data model with a censored dependent variable. Note that the likelihood function of the model is complex in that it includes a multidimensional integral. Many authors proposed to use integral approximation methods for the computation of likelihood function; however, it is well known that integral approximation methods are inadequate for high dimensional integrals in practice. This paper introduces to use the moments of truncated multivariate normal random vector for the calculation of multidimensional integral. In addition, a proper asymptotic standard error of REML estimate is given.