[R] variance functions in glmmPQL or glm?

[Spencer Graves]

      What are you trying to do with varIdent with logistic regression 
with variance components?  Have you considered the weights argument in 
glm or glmmPQL?  It sounds to me like you are trying to estimate 'size' 
for a binomial distribution, and I have trouble visualizing a context 
where that would be reasonable that would NOT be handled by the random 
effects portion of glmmPQL{MASS} or lmer{lme4}. 

      If you'd like more help from this listserve, please provide 
commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code, as suggested in 
the posting guide "www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html". 

      Hope this helps, even if it doesn't answer your question. 
      Spencer Graves

Gretchen wrote:
> Hello R users-
> I am new to R, and tried searching the archives and literature for an answer
> to this - please be patient if I missed something obvious.
>
> I am fitting a logistic regression model, and would like to include variance
> functions (specifically the varIdent function).  I cannot figure out how to
> do this either in glmmPQL (or something similar) for the model with random
> effects, or in glm for the model without random effects.  Is it possible to
> fit a varIdent function in a generalized linear model?  If so, what are the
> appropriate packages/functions to use?
>
> Any help would be appreciated. 
> Thank you,
> Gretchen Anderson
>
>  
>
> M.Sc. Candidate
>
> Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife
>
> Michigan State University
>
> 13 Natural Resources Building
>
> East Lansing, MI 48824
>
> Phone: (517) 353-0731
>
> E-Mail: ande1125 at msu.edu
>
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