School factors helping disadvantaged students to succeed: empirical evidence from four Italian cities

This research investigates a particular category of disadvantaged students, namely those who are able to overcome a situation of socio-economical disadvantage and obtain good academic results (here named ‘resilient students’). We have used micro-data provided by the Italian National Evaluation Committee for Education and focused on class and school-level characteristics that help disadvantaged students to become resilient students when they move from primary (grade 5) to lower secondary school (grade 6), concentrating our analysis on four major cities. We employed a probit regression and a propensity score matching model, finding that class and school factors do matter. In particular, we looked at whether the performance of their peers has a positive impact on that of disadvantaged students, estimating the increased probability of these students becoming resilient.     

新媒体使用对农户生物农药采纳行为的影响研究

基于湖北和河南两省７６４户水稻和小麦种植户的实地调查数据,运用内生转 换概率模型,在反事实框架下评估了新媒体在农技推广中的应用对农户生物农药采纳行为 的影响效应,同时检验不同类型新媒体的作用差异,并进一步探讨其影响机制.研究发现: ①新媒体使用对农户生物农药采纳行为具有显著的正向影响,表现为在反事实假设下,实际 使用新媒体的农户若未使用新媒体,其生物农药采纳概率将下降２６．５％,实际未使用新媒体 的农户若使用新媒体,其生物农药采纳概率将提高３２．９％.②不同类型新媒体对农户生物 农药采纳行为的影响具有差异性,促进作用大小依次为短视频类、社交通信类和内容聚合 类.③从群组差异性来看,新媒体对受教育程度较高、种植面积较小的农户生物农药采纳促 进作用更大.④信息能力在新媒体影响农户生物农药采纳过程中起到中介作用.因此,建 议完善农业技术信息传播机制,增加有效信息供给,加大信息技术的教育和培训力度,有序 引导不同资本禀赋农户使用新媒体获取学习农业技术信息知识.     

基于Probit模型的果农技术采用行为研究

对农户技术采用行为影响因素的研究可以为技术扩散过程的优化与调控提供科学依据。选择两个果业种植专业村,对影响农户技术采用行为的因素进行了实际调查,并利用Probit模型进行了验证和确认。综合分析认为,农户科技文化素质、政府推广部门职能的发挥程度、空间距离、区域自然条件、中介组织的发育程度、技术本身的属性等是影响农户技术采用行为的主要因素,并提出了相关的政策建议。     

农户多维贫困测度及其影响因素分析

依据多维贫困理论及中国农村贫困实际状况,利用2016年对甘肃省1 749家农户的社会调查资料,对样本农户的多维贫困现状进行了测算和分解,并对导致贫困的原因进行了Probit回归分析。结果显示：尽管样本农户存在收入层面的贫困,但交通、教育和健康方面的贫困更加严重,多维贫困发生率较高。因此,反贫困内容由物质性为主向辅以教育、医疗、交通、社会保障等转变,反贫困模式由“输血”转向“造血”式扶贫开发,是健全反贫困长效机制的关键。     

A Proportional Random Utility Approach to Qualitative Response Models

A new functional form of the response probability for a qualitative response model is proposed. The new model is flexible enough to avoid the constraint of independence from irrelevant alternatives, which is perceived as a weakness of the multinomial logit model in some applications. It is computationally simpler than the multinomial probit model and is promising for analyzing problems with a moderate number of alternatives.     

On a random coefficient probit model

Consider a panel-data and state-dependent binary model. The coefficient associated with the past status is assumed to he a normally distributed random variable. The estimation of unknown parameters is investigated for both fixed and random initials. Simulation results for the random initial conditions and empirical results for the U.S. steel industrypanel data are presented.     

Testing parameter significance in instrumental variables probit estimators: some simulation

Binary choice models that contain endogenous regressors can now be estimated routinely using modern software. Each of the two packages, Stata 11 [Stata Statistical Software: Release 11, StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, 2009] and Limdep 9 [Econometric Software Inc., Plainview, NY, 2008], contains two estimators that can be used to estimate such a model. This paper compares the performance of maximum likelihood, Newey's Amemiya's generalized least-squares (AGLS) estimator, an instrumental variables plug-in estimator and others in samples of sizes 200 and 1000 using simulation. Specifically, this paper focuses on tests of parameter significance under various degrees of instrument strength and severity of endogeneity. Although the maximum-likelihood estimator performs well in large samples, there is some evidence that the more computationally robust AGLS estimator may perform better in smaller samples when instruments are weak. It also appears that instruments in endogenous probit estimation need to be even stronger than when used in linear instrumental variables (IV) estimation.     

Intergenerational transfer of time and risk preferences

There is a growing interest in individual time and risk preferences. Little is known about how these preferences are formed. It is hypothesised that parents may transmit their preferences to their offspring. This paper examines the correlation in offspring and parental time and risk preferences using data from an annual household survey in Australia (the HILDA survey). Both time and risk preferences are examined and we explored whether the correlation in time and risk preferences varies across the distribution of preferences and across the across the four parent–child dyads (mother/daughter, mother/son, father/daughter, father/son). The results show that there is a significant relationship between parents and their young adult offspring risk and time preference measures. The correlation varies across the distribution of time preferences. The correlation was largest for longer planning horizons. Risk averse parents are more likely to have risk averse children. Except for the father/daughter dyad risk seeking parents are more likely to have risk seeking offspring. Some gender differences were found. The association in parental and offspring time preference was larger for mothers than fathers. Daughters are more likely to be influenced by their mother’s risk preferences, however, sons are equally influenced by both parents. The results of this study suggest that the transmission in preferences is more nuanced than previously thought and parental gender may be important.     

Probit模型在期刊读者群分析中的应用

选择probit这一二元选择模型为手段,以性别和年龄为主要研究变量,研究不同类型读者对期刊的偏好,以期找出各类期刊的读者群特征,为期刊社有针对性地采编文章及广告投放提出建议。     

Survey response and survey characteristics: microlevel evidence from the European Community Household Panel

Summary.  The paper presents microlevel evidence on the role of the sociodemographic characteristics of a population and the characteristics of the data collection process as predictors of survey response. Our evidence is based on the public use files of the European Community Household Panel, a longitudinal household survey covering the countries of the European Union, whose attractive feature is the high level of comparability across countries and over time. We model the response process as the outcome of two sequential events: contact between the interviewer and an eligible interviewee, and co-operation by the interviewee. Our model allows for dependence between the ease of contact and the propensity to co-operate, taking into account the censoring problem caused by the fact that we observe whether a person is a respondent only if she has been contacted.