Fluctuation of estimates in an EM procedure

Estimates from an EM algorithm are somewhat sensitive to the initial values for the estimates, and it is more likely when the model becomes larger and more complicated. In this article, we examined how the estimates fluctuate during an EM procedure for a recursive model of categorical variables. It is found that the fluctuation takes place mostly during the first half of the procedure and that it can be subdued by applying the Bayesian method of estimation. Both simulation data and real data are used for illustration.