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Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.64.0901140746400.29455@orpheus.qimr.edu.au>
Date: 2009-01-13T21:53:21Z
From: David Duffy
Subject: Zero variance and Std. Dev. using lmer?
In-Reply-To: <ED69EBED14BD41DEA488093238F5B064@Negro1>

On Tue, 13 Jan 2009, Luciano La Sala wrote:

> Dear R-people:
>
> I have run a GLMM (using lmer) with the fixed and random effects detailed
> below. Oddly I think, I get zero variance and Std. Dev. values.
>
> How is that possible? Does it mean that the RE "NestID" is not helping to
> account for autocorrelation among sibling chicks at the nest level?
>
> Or is this a small sample size problem?
>
> model <- lmer(Death10~HO+ClutchSize+SibComp+Yr+(1|NestID),family=binomial,1)
>

Either, I would think.  Have you performed a simple test for extrabinomial
variation? eg Tarone test or Chi-square [latter is just
contingency Chi-square test for NestID x Death10]

David Duffy.
-- 
| David Duffy (MBBS PhD)                                         ,-_|\
| email: davidD at qimr.edu.au  ph: INT+61+7+3362-0217 fax: -0101  /     *
| Epidemiology Unit, Queensland Institute of Medical Research   \_,-._/
| 300 Herston Rd, Brisbane, Queensland 4029, Australia  GPG 4D0B994A v