Semiparametric Regression Analysis With Missing Response at Random

Abstract

We develop inference tools in a semiparametric partially linear regression model with missing response data. A class of estimators is defined that includes as special cases a semiparametric regression imputation estimator, a marginal average estimator, and a (marginal) propensity score weighted estimator. We show that any of our class of estimators is asymptotically normal. The three special estimators have the same asymptotic variance. They achieve the semiparametric efficiency bound in the homoscedastic Gaussian case. We show that the jackknife method can be used to consistently estimate the asymptotic variance. Our model and estimators are defined with a view to avoid the curse of dimensionality, which severely limits the applicability of existing methods. The empirical likelihood method is developed. It is shown that when missing responses are imputed using the semiparametric regression method the empirical log-likelihood is asymptotically a scaled chi-squared variable. An adjusted empirical log-likelihood ratio, which is asymptotically standard chisquared, is obtained. Also, a bootstrap empirical log-likelihood ratio is derived and its distribution is used to approximate that of the imputed empirical log-likelihood ratio. A simulation study is conducted to compare the adjusted and bootstrap empirical likelihood with the normal approximation-based method in terms of coverage accuracies and average lengths of confidence intervals. Based on biases and standard errors, a comparison is also made by simulation between the proposed estimators and the related estimators.

KEY WORDS :

• Empirical likelihood
• Partially linear model
• Semiparametric imputation
• Weighting estimator