Publication year: 2010
Source: Children and Youth Services Review, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 21 November 2010
Emily, Putnam-Hornstein , Terry V., Shaw
Hierarchical models are based on the same fundamental concepts that apply to simple linear models. The linear forms of these models can be interpreted with relative ease as parameter estimates do not differ in magnitude or interpretation from standard non-hierarchical models. However, non-linear hierarchical models are more complex as the introduction of a random intercept means that parameter estimates must be interpreted as “subject-specific” rather than “population-averaged”. Depending on the specifics of the data being modeled, these parameters may be very different in magnitude. In this paper we provide two examples of non-linear hierarchical modeling using administrative child welfare data….