Table 4.

Bayesian Linear Mixed Model Characteristics using Varied Random Effect Distributions

	Population Intercept (ß0), μm	Population Slope (ß1), μm/yr	Eye-Specific Slopes, μm/yr	WAIC
Gaussian	81.54 ± 0.18	–0.42 ± 0.01	–0.38 (–0.67, –0.12) [–4.81, 3.09]	195 418
Student t	81.71 ± 0.18	–0.39 ± 0.01	–0.37 (–0.60, –0.16) [–9.04, 7.42]	193 774
Log-gamma	81.42 ± 0.01	–0.59 ± 0.01	–0.38 (–0.73, –0.08) [–5.07, 2.44]	198 213

Data are displayed as mean ± standard error or as median (interquartile range) [Range].

Eye-specific slopes are estimates derived from the posterior distributions and include both fixed and random effect components.

The boldface value indicates the lowest WAIC, demonstrating best model fit.

WAIC = Watanabe–Akaike information criterion.