Standardized Regression Coefficients and Newly Proposed Estimators for [Formula: see text] in Multiply Imputed Data

Psychometrika. 2020 Mar;85(1):185-205. doi: 10.1007/s11336-020-09696-4. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

Abstract

Whenever statistical analyses are applied to multiply imputed datasets, specific formulas are needed to combine the results into one overall analysis, also called combination rules. In the context of regression analysis, combination rules for the unstandardized regression coefficients, the t-tests of the regression coefficients, and the F-tests for testing [Formula: see text] for significance have long been established. However, there is still no general agreement on how to combine the point estimators of [Formula: see text] in multiple regression applied to multiply imputed datasets. Additionally, no combination rules for standardized regression coefficients and their confidence intervals seem to have been developed at all. In the current article, two sets of combination rules for the standardized regression coefficients and their confidence intervals are proposed, and their statistical properties are discussed. Additionally, two improved point estimators of [Formula: see text] in multiply imputed data are proposed, which in their computation use the pooled standardized regression coefficients. Simulations show that the proposed pooled standardized coefficients produce only small bias and that their 95% confidence intervals produce coverage close to the theoretical 95%. Furthermore, the simulations show that the newly proposed pooled estimates for [Formula: see text] are less biased than two earlier proposed pooled estimates.

Keywords: coefficient of determination; missing data; multiple imputation; regression analysis; standardized coefficient.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Computer Simulation / statistics & numerical data*
  • Confidence Intervals*
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Humans
  • Models, Statistical
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Regression Analysis*
  • Research Design