[R-sig-ME] [R] False convergence of a glmer model

[Ben Bolker]

Douglas Bates wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 16, 2010 at 2:23 PM, Shige Song <shigesong at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Dear Doug,
>>
>> Your argument makes a lot sense: after all, infant mortality is a rare
>> event! I have two questions:
>>
>> 1) Is there a way to change the convergence criterion in a glmer model
>> (to make it more tolerant)?
> 
> I'm not sure that is a good idea.  If the linear predictor produces
> probabilities that are so small that the deviance is insensitive to
> the parameter values, what would it mean to quote estimates of those
> parameters?
> 
>> 2) Do you see a better approach than mixed logistic regression model
>> in estimating infant morality, given the fact that infant mortality is
>> a rare event?
> 
> I don't know of other approaches myself.  Others on the list (Ben?)
> may have suggestions.

  I would think that a Bayesian approach would help here (by ruling out
probabilities of exactly zero): however, generally harder to implement
-- don't know if MCMCglmm offers possibilities for priors on fixed
effect parameters -- WinBUGS (possibly via glmmBUGS), ADMB may be
solutions.  (Also maybe harder to convince reviewers of.)