Spring Seminar Series - January 31, 2005
University of Minnesota
School of Statistics
College of Liberal Arts

Bayesian Model Selection for Geostatistical Regression Data

Devin S. Johnson
Department of Mathematical Sciences
University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Monday, January 31, 2005
3:30 PM, 115 Ford Hall
Minneapolis, East Bank Campus
Social at 3:00 PM, 300 Ford Hall

Abstract

The problem of covariate selection for spatial regression models is considered. Previous research has shown that failure to take spatial correlation into account can influence the outcome of standard model selection methods. Often, these standard criteria suggest models that are too complex in an effort to compensate for spatial correlation ignored in the selection process. Here calculation of posterior model probabilities for regression models through a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method is investigated. In addition, the proposed MCMC algorithm is modified for covariate selection in spatial generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). The GLMM analysis makes use of Langevin-Hastings updates for random effects. These methods are demonstrated with two data sets, one normally distributed and the other a Poisson spatial GLMM.