Université de Fribourg

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

Bodory, Hugo ; Camponovo, Lorenzo ; Huber, Martin ; Lechner, Michael

In: Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, 2020, vol. 38, no. 1, p. 183-200

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...

Université de Fribourg

Endogeneity and non-response bias in treatment evaluation – nonparametric identification of causal effects by instruments

Fricke, Hans ; Frölich, Markus ; Huber, Martin ; Lechner, Michael

In: Journal of Applied Econometrics, 2020, p. 481-504

This paper proposes a nonparametric method for evaluating treatment effects in the presence of both treatment endogeneity and attrition/non-response bias, based on two instrumental variables. Using a discrete instrument for the treatment and an instrument with rich (in general continuous) support for non-response/attrition, we identify the average treatment effect on compliers as well as the...

Université de Fribourg

The Finite Sample Performance of Estimators for Mediation Analysis Under Sequential Conditional Independence

Huber, Martin ; Lechner, Michael ; Mellace, Giovanni

In: Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, 2016, vol. 34, no. 1, p. 139-160

Using a comprehensive simulation study based on empirical data, this article investigates the finite sample properties of different classes of parametric and semiparametric stimators of (natural) direct and indirect causal effects used in mediation analysis under sequential conditional independence assumptions. The estimators are based on regression, inverse probability weighting, and...

Université de Fribourg

A wild bootstrap algorithm for propensity score matching estimators

Huber, Martin ; Camponovo, Lorenzo ; Bodory, Hugo ; Lechner, Michael

(Working Papers SES ; 470)

We introduce a wild bootstrap algorithm for the approximation of the sampling distribution of pair or one-to-many propensity score matching estimators. Unlike the conventional iid bootstrap, the proposed wild bootstrap approach does not construct bootstrap samples by randomly resampling from the observations with uniform weights. Instead, it fixes the covariates and constructs the bootstrap...

Université de Fribourg

The finite sample performance of inference methods for propensity score matching and weighting estimators

Bodory, Hugo ; Huber, Martin ; Camponovo, Lorenzo ; Lechner, Michael

(Working Papers SES ; 466)

This paper 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 analyse both asymptotic approximations and bootstrap methods for computing variances and confidence intervals in our simulation design, which is based on large scale labor...

Université de Fribourg

Endogeneity and non-response bias in treatment evaluation - nonparametric identification of causal effects by instruments

Fricke, Hans ; Frölich, Markus ; Huber, Martin ; Lechner, Michael

(Working Papers SES ; 459)

This paper proposes a nonparametric method for evaluating treatment effects in the presence of both treatment endogeneity and attrition/non-response bias, using two instrumental variables. Making use of a discrete instrument for the treatment and a continuous instrument for nonresponse/attrition, we identify the average treatment effect on compliers as well as the total population and suggest...

Université de Fribourg

Direct and indirect effects of training vouchers for the unemployed

Huber, Martin ; Lechner, Michael ; Strittmatter, Anthony

(Working Papers SES ; 456)

This paper evaluates the effect of a voucher award system for assignment into vocational training on the employment outcomes of unemployed voucher recipients in Germany, along with the causal mechanisms through which it operates. It assesses the direct effect of voucher assignment net of actual redemption, which may be driven by preference shaping/learning about (possibilities of) human capital...