scholarly journals Propensity-Score Methods and the Lenin School

2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gidon Cohen

Although social scientists often use propensity-score methods to study databases that contain substantial amounts of bias and missing information, these techniques have not been applied in the historical literature. This article uses propensity-score matching to investigate the impact of Moscow training on the selection of leadership cadres within Britain's Communist Party. These matching techniques can enable the quantitative analysis of a range of previously underutilized historical data.

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne E. Graham

Selection bias is a problem for mathematics education researchers interested in using observational rather than experimental data to make causal inferences about the effects of different instructional methods in mathematics on student outcomes. Propensity score methods represent 1 approach to dealing with such selection bias. This article describes general principles underlying propensity score methods and illustrates their application to mathematics education research using 2 examples investigating the impact of problem-solving emphasis in mathematics classrooms on students' subsequent mathematics achievement and course taking. Limitations of the method are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
Baoubadi Atozou ◽  
Kotchikpa Gabriel Lawin ◽  
Diombare Niang

Irregular and low rainfall levels and drought have become important sources of low agricultural yields and agricultural incomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Weather index insurance is a financial product for climate risk management aimed at securing farmers' incomes. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of a weather index insurance project piloted with groundnut farmers in Senegal in 2015-2016 agricultural season on farmer’s technical efficiency (TE). A Stochastic Production Frontier model was used to estimate the TE scores. A matched group of beneficiaries and control farmers was determined using propensity score matching techniques to mitigate biases stemming from observed variables. The results showed that average TE is consistently higher for control farmers than the beneficiary group. Age, gender and education were found to be significantly related to technical efficiency, while membership in farmers’ association, credit, improved seeds and extension contact were not significantly related to technical efficiency. From a policy perspective, we suggest that weather index insurance programs targeting smallholder farmers in developing countries, and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, be accompanied with education services, provision of new technologies such as high yield seeds and other best farm management practices and credit to help farmers better adapt to weather shocks and secure their production and income. 


PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e0144962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie L. Mayne ◽  
Brian K. Lee ◽  
Amy H. Auchincloss

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mats Wilhelmsson

The impact on energy performance certificates on housing prices has been investigated extensively in recent years. However, the results of these investigations are mixed. We add to the literature by more specifically controlling for potential biases, by employing a combination of alternative approaches to estimate the causal relationship between house prices and energy performance certificates. We use a traditional hedonic modeling approach, but we additionally employ propensity score methods to be able to compare treated houses with a control group. We also investigate the impact of the outliers, spatial dependency, and parameter heterogeneity of our estimates. Moreover, we use the quantile regression technique to test the hypothesis that the capitalization effect varies across the price distribution. Our results, analyzing more than 100,000 observations, indicate there is an upward bias if one is not controlling for outlier and selection bias. Regardless of the propensity score method approach, the results are lower than a model (around 3 percent capitalization, compared to 6 percent). However, our results do not support that the impact of energy performance certificates varies in the price distribution. Consequently, the certificates are not differently capitalized in the high-end housing price segment. Finally, our results support the hypothesis that the energy performance certificate should be more capitalized into house prices in the northern and colder parts of Sweden than in the southern regions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. S312
Author(s):  
K. Wherry ◽  
E. Barrette ◽  
L. Higuera ◽  
J. Monteiro

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.G. Adeeth Cariappa ◽  
Darshnaben P. Mahida ◽  
Priyanka Lal ◽  
B.S. Chandel

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the correlates of crop insurance adoption and estimate the impact on debt and farm income.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used nationally representative data from National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), which consisted of 35,200 farming households. Logit and propensity score matching (PSM) (nearest neighbor, caliper and kernel matching) techniques were used.FindingsWith only around 5% of households insuring their crops and 87% of them not receiving claims, crop insurance in India has failed. Logit model estimates of correlates of adoption indicated that households with larger family size, lower social group, less education, lower standard of living and poor were more likely to be left out of the ambit of crop insurance. Further, propensity score estimates suggested that households with access to crop insurance had significantly lesser outstanding debt with positive effect on input costs and crop income. The authors’ results were in contrast to the risk balancing theory.Practical implicationsResults of our work encourage us to rethink and restructure the crop insurance policy design in India. With credit and insurance markets interlinked by design and as the risk balancing in the farm business found absent, policies to strengthen both the markets are the need of the hour. To encourage more farmers to take up crop insurance, revenue-based indemnity calculation could be tried in India.Originality/valueImpact estimates from three different algorithms of matching were compared and tested for robustness. Consistent average treatment effect on treated (ATT) was considered for interpretation and policy implications. Since the data are from a nationally representative survey, results are believed to be of extreme value to policy makers and insurance providers as it can be generalized.


Methodology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Ramon Barrada ◽  
Julio Olea ◽  
Vicente Ponsoda

Abstract. The Sympson-Hetter (1985) method provides a means of controlling maximum exposure rate of items in Computerized Adaptive Testing. Through a series of simulations, control parameters are set that mark the probability of administration of an item on being selected. This method presents two main problems: it requires a long computation time for calculating the parameters and the maximum exposure rate is slightly above the fixed limit. Van der Linden (2003) presented two alternatives which appear to solve both of the problems. The impact of these methods in the measurement accuracy has not been tested yet. We show how these methods over-restrict the exposure of some highly discriminating items and, thus, the accuracy is decreased. It also shown that, when the desired maximum exposure rate is near the minimum possible value, these methods offer an empirical maximum exposure rate clearly above the goal. A new method, based on the initial estimation of the probability of administration and the probability of selection of the items with the restricted method ( Revuelta & Ponsoda, 1998 ), is presented in this paper. It can be used with the Sympson-Hetter method and with the two van der Linden's methods. This option, when used with Sympson-Hetter, speeds the convergence of the control parameters without decreasing the accuracy.


Sains Insani ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-27
Author(s):  
Megat Ayop Megat Arifin ◽  
Abd. Halim Ahmad

Whitsleblowing is one of the positive practices in organizations that are able to raise the level of integrity among the members of an organization. However, the roles of whistleblowing also inevitably invites a response, especially among members of the organization itself. This is because such practices are viewed as one factor that may be detrimental to the organization in addition to revealing the reporter (whistleblower) to some external threats and intimidation of discrimination within the organization. This paper is an attempt to examine the relationship between perceptions of members of the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) Contingent of Perak through the role of whistleblowing practices to increase the perception of the integrity of the members. Next, identify the purpose of the whistleblowing and its effect on the integrity of the members of the organization. This study used a descriptive quantitative analysis to identify patterns of relationship that exists between the perception of whistleblowing practices with perceptions of increased integrity based on three basic variables of demographic factors, response to whistleblowing and the impact of making the report. The results showed that members of the Perak’s police have a positive perception of whistleblowing practices which are seen to be done in improving the integrity of the members.Keywords: whistleblowing, perception, RMP members, culture, integrity, organization, influence. ABSTRAK: Whitsleblowing merupakan salah satu amalan positif dalam organisasi yang mampu untuk meningkatkan tahap integriti ahli-ahli dalam sesebuah organisasi. Namun begitu, amalan whistleblowing juga turut tidak dapat mengelak daripada mengundang pelbagai respon khususnya dalam kalangan ahli organisasi itu sendiri. Amalan sebegini turut dilihat sebagai salah satu faktor yang boleh memudaratkan organisasi di samping mendedahkan pelapor (whistleblower) kepada beberapa bentuk ancaman ugutan dari luar dan diskriminasi dalam organisasi. Kertas ini merupakan satu upaya untuk melihat perkaitan antara persepsi anggota Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) Kontinjen Perak melalui peranan amalan whistleblowing terhadap persepsi peningkatan integriti anggota. Seterusnya, mengenalpasti maksud whistleblowing dan pengaruhnya terhadap tahap integriti anggota dalam organisasi. Kajian ini menggunakan analisis kuantitatif berbentuk deskriptif bagi mengenalpasti corak hubungan yang wujud antara persepsi terhadap amalan whistleblowing dengan persepsi terhadap peningkatan integriti berdasarkan tiga pembolehubah asas iaitu faktor demografi, tanggapan terhadap whistleblowing dan kesan daripada tindakan membuat laporan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa anggota PDRM Perak mempunyai persepsi yang positif terhadap whistleblowing yang mana ianya dilihat perlu dilaksanakan dalam meningkatkan integriti anggota.Kata kunci: whistleblowing, persepsi, amalan, anggota PDRM, budaya, integriti, organisasi, pengaruh.  


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document