Inference in Two-Piece Location-Scale Models with Jeffreys Priors

• Activity Number: 4
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Sunday, August 9, 2015 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Bayesian Statistical Science
• Author(s): Mark Steel* and Francisco Javier Rubio
• Companies: University of Warwick and University of Warwick
• Keywords: Bayesian inference ; noninformative prior ; posterior existence ; scale mixtures of normals ; skewness

Abstract

This paper addresses the use of Jeffreys priors in the context of univariate three-parameter location-scale models, where skewness is introduced by differing scale parameters either side of the location. We focus on various commonly used parameterizations for these models. Jeffreys priors are shown to lead to improper posteriors in the wide and practically relevant class of distributions obtained by skewing scale mixtures of normals. Easily checked conditions under which independence Jeffreys priors can be used for valid inference are derived. We also investigate two alternative priors, one of which is shown to lead to valid Bayesian inference for all practically interesting parameterizations of these models and is our recommendation to practitioners. We illustrate some of these models using real data.