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[R-meta] rma.mv only for better SEs

13 messages · Simon Harmel, Wolfgang Viechtbauer

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Hello List Members,

Reviewing the archived posts, my understanding is that my studies can
produce multiple effects, so I should use rma.mv() not rma().

Also, I understand rma.mv() ensures that I get more accurate SEs for my
fixed effects relative to rma().

BUT does that also mean that, by definition, rma.mv() should have no
bearing on the magnitude of the fixed effects themselves and only modifies
their SEs relative to rma()?

Thank you,
Simon
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Generally, two models with different random effects structures will also give you different estimates of the fixed effects (unless the estimates of the variance/covariance components happen to be such that the two models collapse down to the same structure).

Best,
Wolfgang
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Thank you, Wolfgang. I asked this, because I noticed applying RVE to an
rma.mv() model has no bearing on the estimates of fixed effects themselves,
and just modifies their SEs.

So, I wondered if the same rule, at least "in principle", should apply when
we go from rma() to rma.mv().

But is there a principle regarding how random effects affect the fixed
effects?

For instance, in:

1- rma.mv(y ~ 1, random = ~ 1|study/obs), the overall average only
represents the average of study-level effects.

But, in:

2- rma.mv(y ~ 1, random = ~ 1|study/outcome/obs), the overall average
represents the average of study-level effects additionally affected by the
outcome-level effects within them.

And thus, 1- and 2- may give different overall averages, right?

Simon


On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 11:00 AM Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP) <
wolfgang.viechtbauer at maastrichtuniversity.nl> wrote:

            

  
  
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Just try it out and you will see what happens.

Best,
Wolfgang
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I have done it, and in my case the results differ. But my point was, is my
explanation regarding why they differ accurate?



On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 11:24 AM Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP) <
wolfgang.viechtbauer at maastrichtuniversity.nl> wrote:

            

  
  
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The random effects structure determines the weight matrix, which in turn affects the estimates of the random effects.

Best,
Wolfgang
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Sure, but didn't you by any chance mean to say:
"The random effects structure determines the weight matrix, which in turn
affects the estimates of the **fixed effects**".

On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 12:23 PM Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP) <
wolfgang.viechtbauer at maastrichtuniversity.nl> wrote:

            

  
  
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Right, sorry, that was a typo.

Best,
Wolfgang
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This is very helpful, thank you so very much.

Simon
ps. This may be loosely relevant but in ordinary multilevel models, we
don't use weights, but still random-effects' structures do have a bearing
on the fixed effect estimates. So, aside from weights, something else from
random-effects must have an impact on fixed-effect magnitude.

On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 2:04 PM Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP) <
wolfgang.viechtbauer at maastrichtuniversity.nl> wrote:

            

  
  
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This is not correct. Also ordinary multilevel models have a weight matrix.
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Oh, all I knew was that ordinary multilevel estimates of fixed effect are
obtained via empirical Bayes (eb) and have the following algebraic relation
to their OLS counterparts.

Is there any reference that explains the nature of these weights and refers
to them as "weights"?


Beta_eb = Lambda * Beta_ols + (1 - lambda) * grand mean

where Lambda = Heterogeneity_betw. /  [Heterogeneity_betw. + (residual var.
/ n_clusters)]

On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 2:27 PM Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP) <
wolfgang.viechtbauer at maastrichtuniversity.nl> wrote:

            

  
  
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The fixed effects are estimated using ML/REML estimation.

What you seem to be describing there are the EB estimates of the cluster-specific intercepts (e.g., Snijders & Boskers, 1999, p. 58-59) for a simple two-level 'empty' model with just a random intercept. With additional fixed effects and/or random effects, things will get more complex.

There are many books that go into this; for example Searle (1992), chapter 6 is very thorough.

I will bow out of further replies as typing is aggravating my arm.

Best,
Wolfgang
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Great, thanks!

(Truly hope you feel better very soon)

Simon

On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 2:56 PM Viechtbauer, Wolfgang (SP) <
wolfgang.viechtbauer at maastrichtuniversity.nl> wrote: