Semi- and Nonparametric Modeling of Ordinal Data

Abstract

Parametric models for categorical ordinal response variables, like the proportional odds model or the continuation ratio model, assume that the predictor is given by a linear form of covariates. In this article the parametric models are extended to include smooth components in a semiparametric or partially parametric fashion. Parts of the covariates are thereby modeled linearly while other covariates are modeled as unspecified but smooth functions. Estimation is based on a combination of local likelihood and profile likelihood and asymptotic properties of the estimates are derived. In a simulation study it is demonstrated that the profile likelihood approach is to be preferred over a backfitting procedure. Two data examples demonstrate the applicability of the models.