A note on type II error under random effects misspecification in generalized linear mixed models
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Updated: May 31, 2026

Development of an Individual-Tree Basal Area Increment Model using a Linear Mixed-Effects Approach
Published on: July 3, 2020
John M Neuhaus1, Charles E McCulloch, Ross Boylan
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-0560, USA. john@biostat.ucsf.edu
Abstract:
Litière, Alonso, and Molenberghs (2007, Biometrics, 63, 1038-1044) presented the results of simulation studies that they claimed showed that misspecification of the shape of the random effects distribution can produce marked increases in Type II error (decreases in power) of tests based on fits of generalized linear mixed models. However, the article contains a logical fallacy that invalidates this claim. We present logically correct simulation studies that demonstrate little increase in Type II error, consistent with the earlier work that shows little effect due to misspecification.
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