[R] Discrepancy in imputed data results across different operating systems

[Bullinger, Johannes]

Hi,


I am currently facing an issue with data imputation in R using the random forest method from the MICE package. Specifically, I have imputed data that was missing completely at random (MCAR) using the following R code:


# IMPUTATION

set.seed(500)

# Perform multiple imputation

imputed_data <- mice(JPBR, m = 5, method = 'rf', maxit = 50)


Initially, I performed the imputation on a Mac running macOS Big Sur version 11.7.10 with R version 4.2.3.


However, when I attempted to replicate the results using the same seed, data, and script on a Windows 10 Enterprise machine with R version 4.4.1, the imputed results differed from those obtained on the Mac.


Concerned by this discrepancy, I ran the same script on another Windows 10 Enterprise system using R version 4.2.3. The results were consistent with the previous Windows imputation but still differed from the Mac results.


Furthermore, I conducted the imputation on a different Mac running macOS Sonoma with R version 4.4.1. Interestingly, the results from this setup matched the original imputation outcome from the Mac, suggesting that the issue may not be related to the R version but rather to the operating system.


I am seeking insights or suggestions on why these discrepancies occur and how to ensure consistent imputation results across different operating systems. Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated.


Best,


Johannes


__________________________________

Johannes Bullinger, M.Sc.
Developmental Psychology Department
Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich
he/him; er/ihn
Mail: johannes.bullinger using lmu.de


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