Plot Mean X vs. Ordinal Y

DESCRIPTION:

Separately for each predictor variable X in a formula, plots the mean of X vs. levels of Y. Then under the proportional odds assumption, the expected value of the predictor for each Y value is also plotted (as a dotted line). This plot is useful for assessing the ordinality assumption for Y separately for each X, and for assessing the proportional odds assumption in a simple univariable way. If several predictors do not distinguish adjacent categories of Y, those levels may need to be pooled. This display assumes that each predictor is linearly related to the log odds of each event in the proportional odds model. There is also an option to plot the expected means assuming a forward continuation ratio model.

USAGE:

plot.xmean.ordinaly(x, data, subset, na.action, subn=TRUE, cr=FALSE, ...)

ARGUMENTS:

x
an S formula. Response variable is treated as ordinal. Predictor variables must be binary or continuous. Interactions or non-linear effects are not allowed.
data
a data frame or frame number
subset
vector of subscripts or logical vector describing subset of data to analyze
na.action
defaults to na.keep so all NAs are initially retained. Then NAs are deleted only for each predictor currently being plotted. Specify na.action=na.delete to remove observations that are missing on any of the predictors (or the response).
subn
set to FALSE to suppress a left bottom subtitle specifying the sample size used in constructing each plot
cr
set to TRUE to plot expected values by levels of the response, assuming a forward continuation ratio model holds. The function is fairly slow when this option is specified.
...
other arguments passed to plot and lines

AUTHOR(S):

Frank Harrell
Department of Biostatistics
Vanderbilt University
f.harrell@vanderbilt.edu

REFERENCES:

Harrell FE et al. (1998): Development of a clinical prediction model for an ordinal outcome. Stat in Med 17:909–44.

SEE ALSO:

, , ,

EXAMPLES:

# Simulate data from a population proportional odds model
set.seed(1)
n <- 400
age <- rnorm(n, 50, 10)
blood.pressure <- rnorm(n, 120, 15)
L <- .2*(age-50) + .1*(blood.pressure-120)
p12 <- plogis(L)    # Pr(Y>=1)
p2  <- plogis(L-1)  # Pr(Y=2)
p   <- cbind(1-p12, p12-p2, p2)   # individual class probabilites
# Cumulative probabilities:
cp  <- matrix(cumsum(t(p)) - rep(0:(n-1), rep(3,n)), byrow=TRUE, ncol=3)
y   <- (cp < runif(n)) %*% rep(1,3)
# Thanks to Dave Krantz <dhk@paradox.psych.columbia.edu> for this trick

par(mfrow=c(1,2))
plot.xmean.ordinaly(y ~ age + blood.pressure, cr=TRUE)
par(mfrow=c(1,1))