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Re: st: from Gauri (posting troubles) re positive log-likelihood


From   Maarten buis <[email protected]>
To   [email protected]
Subject   Re: st: from Gauri (posting troubles) re positive log-likelihood
Date   Sun, 7 Oct 2007 18:43:46 +0100 (BST)

--- Gauri wrote:
> I get the following value for the Log likeihood = 97
> 
> How can I interpret this?
> 
> I understand that a positive log likelihood is not unknown when the  
> dependant variable is continuous which is true for my case.
> 
> However, I am stuck with the interpretation and can't express it in  
> words.

In case of a continuous depedent variable the log likelihood is not the
log of a probability (which must remain below zero) but a probability
density (from the probability density function). The probability
density is not bounded to be less than or equal to one, so the log
likelihood is not bounded to be negative. The value of one log
likelihood is not so interpretable on its own, the real power is in
comparing (nested) models (e.g. through a likelihood ratio test or
BICs/AICs).

Hope this helps,
Maarten

-----------------------------------------
Maarten L. Buis
Department of Social Research Methodology
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Boelelaan 1081
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands

visiting address:
Buitenveldertselaan 3 (Metropolitan), room Z434

+31 20 5986715

http://home.fsw.vu.nl/m.buis/
-----------------------------------------


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