Appropriate modelling of Likert-type items should account for the scale level and the specific role of the neutral middle category, which is present in most Likert-type items that are in common use. Powerful hierarchical models that account for both aspects are proposed. To avoid biased...

Summary For panels which are observed over a long time it has to be assumed that the effects of covariates vary across time. An estimation method based on local likelihood principles is proposed which allows to estimate the variation of coefficients in the case of discrete responses. Approximate...

Abstract This paper proposes a discrete-time hazard regression approach based on the relation between hazard rate models and excess over threshold models, which are frequently encountered in extreme value modelling. The proposed duration model employs a flexible link function and incorporates...

The use of the multinomial logit model is typically restricted to applications with few predictors, because in high-dimensional settings maximum likelihood estimates tend to deteriorate. A sparsity-inducing penalty is proposed that accounts for the special structure of multinomial models by...

A new diagnostic tool for the identification of differential item functioning (DIF) is proposed. Classical approaches to DIF allow to consider only few subpopulations like ethnic groups when investigating if the solution of items depends on the membership to a subpopulation. We propose an...

<Para ID="Par1">A general paired comparison model for the evaluation of sport competitions is proposed. It efficiently uses the available information by allowing for ordered response categories and team-specific home advantage effects. Penalized estimation techniques are used to identify clusters of teams that...</para>