Econometrica

Journal Of The Econometric Society

An International Society for the Advancement of Economic
Theory in its Relation to Statistics and Mathematics

Edited by: Guido W. Imbens • Print ISSN: 0012-9682 • Online ISSN: 1468-0262

Econometrica: Nov, 1994, Volume 62, Issue 6

Optimal Tests when a Nuisance Parameter is Present Only Under the Alternative

https://doi.org/0012-9682(199411)62:6<1383:OTWANP>2.0.CO;2-7
p. 1383-1414

Donald W. K. Andrews, Werner Ploberger

This paper derives asymptotically optimal tests for testing problems in which a nuisance parameter exists under the alternative hypothesis but not under the null. For example, the results apply to tests of one-time structural change with unknown change-point. Several other examples are discussed in the paper. The results of the paper are of interest, because the testing problem considered is nonstandard and the classical asymptotic optimality results for the Lagrange multiplier (LM), Wald, and likelihood ratio (LR) tests do not apply. A weighted average power criterion is used here to generate optimal tests. This criterion is similar to that used by Wald (1943) to obtain the classical asymptotic optimality properties of Wald tests in "regular" testing problems. In fact, the optimal tests introduced here reduce to the standard LM, Wald, and LR tests when standard regularity conditions hold. Nevertheless, in the nonstandard cases of main interest, new optimal tests are obtained and the LR test is not found to be an optimal test.


Log In To View Full Content