对中国现有的几种边际消费倾向计算方法的评析

我国学术界对于边际消费倾向的理论有较为统一的认识,但在计算方法上却存在一定的差异。边际消费倾向的计算公式和计量模型也有简化公式、凯恩斯模型和线性扩展ELES模型等几种方法。并且, 在计算和模型拟合过程中,即使是相同的模型,由于不同的学者选取了不同的统计指标得到的边际消费倾向数值也大相径庭。文章对不同的方法进行了总结和评析。     

Empirical Likelihood in Causal Inference

This paper discusses the estimation of average treatment effects in observational causal inferences. By employing a working propensity score and two working regression models for treatment and control groups, Robins et al. (1994 Robins , J. M. , Rotnitzky , A. , Zhao , L. P. ( 1994 ). Estimation of regression coefficients when some regressors are not always observed . Journal of the American Statistical Association 89 : 846 – 866 .[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 1995 Robins , J. M. , Rotnitzky , A. , Zhao , L. P. ( 1995 ). Analysis of semiparametric regression models for repeated outcomes in the presence of missing data . Journal of the American Statistical Association 90 : 106 – 121 .[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) introduced the augmented inverse probability weighting (AIPW) method for estimation of average treatment effects, which extends the inverse probability weighting (IPW) method of Horvitz and Thompson (1952 Horvitz , D. G. , Thompson , D. J. ( 1952 ). A generalization of sampling without replacement from a finite universe . Journal of the American Statistical Association 47 : 663 – 685 .[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]); the AIPW estimators are locally efficient and doubly robust. In this paper, we study a hybrid of the empirical likelihood method and the method of moments by employing three estimating functions, which can generate estimators for average treatment effects that are locally efficient and doubly robust. The proposed estimators of average treatment effects are efficient for the given choice of three estimating functions when the working propensity score is correctly specified, and thus are more efficient than the AIPW estimators. In addition, we consider a regression method for estimation of the average treatment effects when working regression models for both the treatment and control groups are correctly specified; the asymptotic variance of the resulting estimator is no greater than the semiparametric variance bound characterized by the theory of Robins et al. (1994 Robins , J. M. , Rotnitzky , A. , Zhao , L. P. ( 1994 ). Estimation of regression coefficients when some regressors are not always observed . Journal of the American Statistical Association 89 : 846 – 866 .[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], 1995 Robins , J. M. , Rotnitzky , A. , Zhao , L. P. ( 1995 ). Analysis of semiparametric regression models for repeated outcomes in the presence of missing data . Journal of the American Statistical Association 90 : 106 – 121 .[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Finally, we present a simulation study to compare the finite-sample performance of various methods with respect to bias, efficiency, and robustness to model misspecification.     

基于协变量平衡加权的平均处理效应的稳健有效估计

倾向性得分是估计平均处理效应的重要工具。但在观察性研究中,通常会由于协变量在处理组与对照组分布的不平衡性而导致极端倾向性得分的出现,即存在十分接近于0或1的倾向性得分,这使得因果推断的强可忽略假设接近于违背,进而导致平均处理效应的估计出现较大的偏差与方差。Li等(2018a)提出了协变量平衡加权法,在无混杂性假设下通过实现协变量分布的加权平衡,解决了极端倾向性得分带来的影响。本文在此基础上,提出了基于协变量平衡加权法的稳健且有效的估计方法,并通过引入超级学习算法提升了模型在实证应用中的稳健性;更进一步,将前一方法推广至理论上不依赖于结果回归模型和倾向性得分模型假设的基于协变量平衡加权的稳健有效估计。蒙特卡洛模拟表明,本文提出的两种方法在结果回归模型和倾向性得分模型均存在误设时仍具有极小的偏差和方差。实证部分将两种方法应用于右心导管插入术数据,发现右心导管插入术大约会增加患者6. 3%死亡率。     

描述统计法在外语教学测试中的应用

在日常的教学测试中,教师对学生成绩大多采用平均值和分数段方法进行分析,虽然计算简单、操作方便,但平均值容易受极端数据的影响,且当成绩呈偏态分布时,也无法解释其分布情况,不利于教学信息的发掘和反馈,也影响了教学决策。针对上述传统方法的局限性,本文所提出的描述统计法,将集中趋势、离中趋势、标准分有效地结合起来,对样本定量分析,真实、全面地反映了学生成绩水平,从中找出有利于教学的信息,不断实现衡量标准的科学化。     

IMPROVED SCORE TESTS FOR VON MISES REGRESSION MODELS

We present, in matrix notation, a finite-sample correction formula to improve score tests in von Mises regression models with concentration covariates. The formula only requires simple operations on matrices and can be used to obtain analytically closed-form corrections for score test statistics in a variety of special von Mises models. The paper also provides a numerical comparison of the size of two score test statistics with bootstrap-based critical values.     

Corrected likelihood ratio and score tests for the beta distribution

We present correction formulae to improve likelihood ratio and score teats for testing simple and composite hypotheses on the parameters of the beta distribution. As a special case of our results we obtain improved tests for the hypothesis that a sample is drawn from a uniform distribution on (0, 1). We present some Monte Carlo investigations to show that both corrected tests have better performances than the classical likelihood ratio and score tests at least for small sample sizes.     

Decriminalization and Marijuana Smoking Prevalence: Evidence From Australia

This article uses the 2001 National Drug Strategy Household Survey to assess the impact of marijuana decriminalization policy on marijuana smoking prevalence in Australia. Both parametric and nonparametric methods are used. The parametric approach includes endogenous probit switching, two-part, sample selection, and standard dummy variable models, while the nonparametric approach uses propensity score stratification matching. Specification analyses are also conducted. A nonparametric kernel-based test is constructed to select between parametric and nonparametric models, and the likelihood ratio test is used to choose among parametric models. Our analyses favor the endogenous switching model where decriminalization increases the probability of smoking by 16.2%.     

The Finite Sample Performance of Inference Methods for Propensity Score Matching and Weighting Estimators

ABSTRACT

This article investigates the finite sample properties of a range of inference methods for propensity score-based matching and weighting estimators frequently applied to evaluate the average treatment effect on the treated. We analyze both asymptotic approximations and bootstrap methods for computing variances and confidence intervals in our simulation designs, which are based on German register data and U.S. survey data. We vary the design w.r.t. treatment selectivity, effect heterogeneity, share of treated, and sample size. The results suggest that in general, theoretically justified bootstrap procedures (i.e., wild bootstrapping for pair matching and standard bootstrapping for “smoother” treatment effect estimators) dominate the asymptotic approximations in terms of coverage rates for both matching and weighting estimators. Most findings are robust across simulation designs and estimators.     

Statistical Analysis for the Inverse Trinomial Distribution

This article considers parameter estimation, goodness of fit, likelihood ratio and score tests, and model selection by Akaike information criterion for the inverse trinomial (IT) distribution, a classical one-dimensional random walk distribution. The IT distribution has a cubic variance function of the mean and is a generalization of the negative binomial distribution. Basic distributional properties and expressions for the probability mass function, recurrence formula, moments, and score functions are also presented.