scholarly journals Genetic Risks, Adolescent Health, and Schooling Attainment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikesh Amin ◽  
Jere Behrman ◽  
Jason Fletcher ◽  
Carlos A Flores ◽  
Alfonso Flores-Lagunes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Health ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
National Longitudinal Study ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Polygenic Scores ◽  
Genetic Risks ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
New Evidence

We provide new evidence on the effect of adolescent health on schooling attainment using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. We take two different approaches to deal with omitted variable bias and reverse causality. Our first approach attends to the issue of reverse causality by using health polygenic scores (PGSs) as proxies for actual adolescent health. Second, we estimate the effect of adolescent health using sibling fixed-effects models that control for unmeasured genetic and family factors shared by siblings. We find that being genetically predisposed to smoking and smoking regularly in adolescence reduces schooling attainment.

Relative supervisor education and worker well-being

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 731-745
Author(s):  
Benjamin Artz
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Worker Education ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Less educated supervisors create worker status incongruence, a violation of social norms that signals advancement uncertainty and job ambiguity for workers, and leads to negative behavioral and well-being outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to compare education levels of supervisors with their workers and measure the correlation between relative supervisor education and worker job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Using the only wave of the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth that identifies education levels of both supervisor and worker, a series of ordered probit estimates describe the relationship between supervisor education levels and subordinate worker well-being. Extensive controls, sub-sample estimates and a control for sorting confirm the estimates. Findings Worker well-being is negatively correlated with having a less educated supervisor and positively correlated with having a more educated supervisor. This result is robust to a number of alternative specifications. In sub-sample estimates, workers highly placed in an organization’s hierarchy do not exhibit reduced well-being with less educated supervisors. Research limitations/implications A limitation is the inability to control for worker fixed effects, which may introduce omitted variable bias into the estimates. Originality/value The paper is the first to introduce relative supervisor–worker education level as a determinant of worker well-being.

Endogenous democracy: causal evidence from the potato productivity shock in the old world

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Joan Barceló ◽  
Guillermo Rosas
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Transition To Democracy ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Old World ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Productivity Shock ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
The Impact ◽  
New Evidence

Abstract Despite a high cross-country correlation between development and democracy, it is difficult to gauge the impact of economic development on the probability that autocracies will transition to democracy because of endogeneity, especially due to reverse causation and omitted variable bias. Hence, whether development causes democracy remains a contested issue. We exploit exogeneity in the regional variation of potato cultivation along with the timing of the introduction of potatoes to the Old World (i.e., a potato productivity shock) to identify a causal effect of urbanization, a proxy for economic development, on democratization. Our results, which hold under sensitivity analyses that question the validity of the exclusion restriction, present new evidence of the existence of a causal effect of economic development on democracy.

scholarly journals Female on boards and the risk-taking of microfinance institutions: The moderating role of outreach

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 19-34
Author(s):  
Michael Adusei
Keyword(s):  
Risk Taking ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Female Representation ◽  
Return On Assets ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
Moderating Role

This study examines the effect of female on boards on risk-taking with data from 401 microfinance institutions (MFIs) drawn from 64 countries. The study also investigates whether the effect is sensitive to the outreach performance of MFIs. The MFIs sampled for this study are spread across the six MFI regions. The study measures MFI risk by its risk-taking Z-score and risk-adjusted return on assets. The fixed effects estimation technique, known to overcome the omitted variable bias, is deployed to analyze the data. The results show that female representation in the boardroom increases the risk-taking of MFIs. However, when female on boards interacts with the depth of outreach performance of an MFI, its positive impact on MFI risk is observed. It suggests that female directors are more likely to be beneficial to risk management in MFIs that lend more to indigent clients. Several tests, including an instrumental variable test for endogeneity, have been conducted to confirm the robustness of these results.

Fiscal counter-cyclicality and productive investment: evidence from advanced economies

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Furceri ◽  
João Tovar Jalles
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Statistical Method ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Financing Constraints ◽  
Communications Technology ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
Difference In Difference ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Advanced Economies ◽  
Variable Bias

Abstract We use a difference-in-difference approach to 25 industries for 18 advanced economies over the period 1985–2012 to examine the effect of fiscal counter-cyclicality on productive investment: (i) Research and Development (R&D), and (ii) Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The results show that fiscal counter-cyclicality increases R&D expenditure and the share of ICT capital in industries that are more financially constrained. Moreover, the effect is larger during recessions – when financing constraints are more likely to be binding – than during economic expansions. Our statistical method mitigates concerns about omitted variable bias and reverse causality. In addition, the results are robust to different measures of fiscal counter-cyclicality and to the inclusion of several controls.

scholarly journals The fixed effects approach as an alternative to multilevel analysis for cross-national analyses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Moehring
Keyword(s):  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Fixed Effects Models ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
Cross National

Multilevel models that combine individual and contextual factors are increasingly popular in comparative social science research; however, their application in country-comparative studies is often associated with several problems. First of all, most data-sets utilized for multilevel modeling include only a small number (N<30) of macro-level units, and therefore, the estimated models have a small number of degrees of freedom on the country level. If models are correctly specified paying regard to the small, level-2 N, only a few macro-level indicators can be controlled for. Furthermore, the introduction of random slopes and cross-level interaction effects is then hardly possible. Consequently, (1) these models are likely to suffer from omitted variable bias regarding the country-level estimators, and (2) the advantages of multilevel modeling cannot be fully exploited.The fixed effects approach is a valuable alternative to the application of conventional multilevel methods in country-comparative analyses. This method is also applicable with a small number of countries and avoids the country-level omitted variable bias through controlling for country-level heterogeneity. Following common practice in panel regression analyses, the moderator effect of macro-level characteristics can be estimated also in fixed effects models by means of cross-level interaction effects. Despite the advantages of the fixed effects approach, it is rarely used for the analysis of cross-national data.In this paper, I compare the fixed effects approach with conventional multilevel regression models and give practical examples using data of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) from 2006. As it turns out, the results of both approaches regarding the effect of cross-level interactions are similar. Thus, fixed effects models can be used either as an alternative to multilevel regression models or to assess the robustness of multilevel results.

scholarly journals How do biological and social kinship play out within families in the U.S.? An evolutionary perspective on perceived parental care and closeness in adolescents

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-195
Author(s):  
Sebastian Schnettler ◽  
Anja Steinbach
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Adolescent Health ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Add Health ◽  
National Longitudinal Study ◽  
Fixed Effects Regression ◽  
Parent Child Relationships ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Parent Child

Consistent with inclusive fitness theory, evolutionary biologists predict that individuals care more for their biological than their social children and hence that biological children assess the relationships to their parents better than stepchildren. To test this assumption, we use data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Unlike many other studies that have been conducted so far, this survey allows us to analyze the consequences of the dynamic between social and biological parent-child relationships within the same families. We use comparisons of sibling pairs and fixed-effects regression to achieve the within-family comparison. Both the descriptive and multivariate regression results confirm that – even after controlling for other relevant influences – biological parenthood matters with regard to children’s relationship assessments (perceived parental care and closeness of the parent-child relationship) and in both the relationships to resident fathers and mothers. In the discussion, we comment on the possible integration of the evolutionary and sociological perspectives and close with some recommendations for future data collection that could allow researchers to analyze the relative impact of biological and social influences on parent-child relationships on a more fine-grained level. Zusammenfassung Abgeleitet aus der Theorie der Verwandtenselektion sagen Evolutionsbiologen vorher, dass Individuen gegenüber ihren biologischen Kindern mehr Fürsorge zeigen sollten als gegenüber Kindern, zu denen eine soziale Elternschaft besteht. Entsprechend wird erwartet, dass biologische Kinder die Beziehungen zu ihren Eltern besser einschätzen als Stiefkinder. Zur Überprüfung dieser Hypothese ziehen wir die Daten der U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) heran. Diese Studie erlaubt es, im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Datenquellen, die Konsequenzen der innerfamilialen Dynamik sozialer und biologischer Eltern-Kind-Beziehungen zu untersuchen. Um diesen Vergleich innerhalb der Familien zu ermöglichen, untersuchen wir Geschwisterdyaden und führen eine fixed-effects-Regression durch. Die Resultate der deskriptiven und der multivariaten Analysen bestätigen, dass der Status biologischer Elternschaft auch dann die Beziehungs-einschätzungen der Jugendlichen (wahrgenommene elterliche Fürsorge und emotionale Nähe) vorhersagt, wenn für andere relevante Einflussfaktoren kontrolliert wird – sowohl in Bezug auf die väterliche als auch auf die mütterliche Beziehung. In der Diskussion kommentieren wir das Ergebnis im Hinblick auf eine mögliche Integration evolutionsbiologischer und soziologischer Forschungsperspektiven und schließen mit einigen Empfehlungen für die zukünftige empirische Datenerhebung ab. Eine Umsetzung dieser Empfehlungen könnte es interessierten Forscherinnen und Forschern in Zukunft ermöglichen, die relative Bedeutung biologischer und sozialer Einflüsse auf die Eltern detaillierter zu untersuchen.

Taking Innovation to the Streets: Microgeography, Physical Structure, and Innovation

2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (5) ◽  
pp. 912-928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria P. Roche
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Set Covering ◽  
Regional Innovation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
Block Groups

In this paper, we analyze how the physical layout of cities affects innovation by influencing the organization of knowledge exchange. We exploit a novel data set covering all census block groups in the contiguous United States with information on innovation outcomes, street infrastructure, as well as population and workforce characteristics. To deal with concerns of omitted variable bias, we apply commuting zone fixed effects and construct instruments based on historic city planning. The results suggest that variation in street network density may explain regional innovation differentials beyond the traditional location externalities found in the literature.

Do Family Firms Choose Conservative Accounting Practices?

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (04) ◽  
pp. 1950014
Author(s):  
Mehul Raithatha ◽  
Tara Shankar Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Family Firms ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Business Group ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
Conservative Accounting ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Alternative Measures ◽  
Variable Bias

We investigate whether family firms are motivated to adopt conservative accounting practices, given their unique characteristics of high promoter holdings, less diversified equity, and long-term interest in the business. We examine whether heterogeneity within family firms, captured through family members’ involvement in management and the firm’s affiliation to a business group, drives conservative behavior. We test our model on a sample of 2534 listed Indian firms from 2006 to 2015. Our results indicate that family-controlled firms are more conditionally conservative in their accounting practices, especially when family members manage them and when they are affiliated with a business group. These findings are robust to alternative measures of conservatism and also after controlling for omitted variable bias and reverse causality.

scholarly journals Energy – Growth Nexus- A Case of South Asian Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-66
Author(s):  
Saddam Hussain ◽  
Chunjiao Yu ◽  
Liu Wan
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Economic Determinants ◽  
Omitted Variable Bias ◽  
Variable Bias ◽  
Macroeconomic Determinants ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between energy consumption and economic growth is a hot issue in today's society. This paper aims to empirically verify the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth. This article analyzes the relation of energy consumption with the economic growth taking the case of South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal) along with the macroeconomic determinants that affect the total economic growth – FDI growth, CPI rate and population growth in order to avoid omitted variable bias and misleading results. The time span of this study covers the period of 1980–2019. To examine the significant relation of these determinants and impact of energy consumption on economic growth, In-pooled regression, Fixed-effects, Bidirectional fixed effect, Random-effects, and GLS estimation regression model are used. The estimated results show a positive correlation of energy consumption and all other economic determinants with economic growth except CPI, where there is a negative correlation founded.

scholarly journals The Social Genome of Friends and Schoolmates in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin W. Domingue ◽  
Daniel W. Belsky ◽  
Jason M. Fletcher ◽  
Dalton Conley ◽  
Jason D. Boardman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Genetic Similarity ◽  
Genetic Effect ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Entire Genome ◽  
Meso Level ◽  
National Longitudinal Study ◽  
Polygenic Scores

AbstractHumans tend to form social relationships with others who resemble them. Whether this sorting of like with like arises from historical patterns of migration, meso-level social structures in modern society, or individual-level selection of similar peers remains unsettled. Recent research has evaluated the possibility that unobserved genotypes may play an important role in the creation of homophilous relationships. We extend this work by using data from 9,500 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to examine genetic similarities among pairs of friends. While there is some evidence that friends have correlated genotypes, both at the whole-genome level as well as at trait-associated loci (via polygenic scores), further analysis suggests that meso-level forces, such as school assignment, are a principal source of genetic similarity between friends. We also observe apparent social-genetic effects in which polygenic scores of an individual’s friends and schoolmates predict the individual’s own educational attainment. In contrast, an individual’s height is unassociated with the height genetics of peers.SignificanceOur study reported significant findings of a “social genome” that can be quantified and studied to understand human health and behavior. In a national sample of more than 9,000 American adolescents, we found evidence of social forces that act to make friends and schoolmates more genetically similar to one another as compared to random pairs of unrelated individuals. This subtle genetic similarity was observed across the entire genome and at sets of genomic locations linked with specific traits—educational attainment and body-mass index—a phenomenon we term “social-genetic correlation.” We also find evidence of a “social-genetic effect” such that the genetics of a person’s friends and schoolmates influenced their own education, even after accounting for the person’s own genetics.

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