IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/reveho/v11y2013i3p313-340.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Stage-specific family structure models: implicit parameter restrictions and Bayesian model comparison with an application to prosocial behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Mark Ottoni-Wilhelm
  • Robert Bandy

Abstract

The two most frequently used specifications in stage-specific family structure analyses of young adult outcomes-state × stage and event × stage-impose restrictions on the parameters of the underlying model of child development. The restrictions imposed by the state specification have substantive a priori disadvantages, implying that use of the state specification requires justification by a specification test. Because the state and event specifications are non-nested, a classical approach to specification testing runs into practical problems. We demonstrate the advantages of a Bayesian approach to the specification testing problem using two applications to young adult prosocial behavior-charitable giving and volunteering. Substantive results are that family structure transitions during adolescence are negatively associated with subsequent giving, and transitions during middle childhood are positively associated with subsequent volunteering. There are other substantive results that would have been missed had we not realized that the state and event specifications impose restrictions on the underlying model and had we not made specification testing a prerequisite for substantive analysis. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Ottoni-Wilhelm & Robert Bandy, 2013. "Stage-specific family structure models: implicit parameter restrictions and Bayesian model comparison with an application to prosocial behavior," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 313-340, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:11:y:2013:i:3:p:313-340
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-012-9148-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11150-012-9148-7
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11150-012-9148-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sheila Krein & Andrea Beller, 1988. "Educational attainment of children from single-parent families: Differences by exposure, gender, and race," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 25(2), pages 221-234, May.
    2. Philip K. Robins & David H. Greenberg & Paul Fronstin, 2001. "Parental disruption and the labour market performance of children when they reach adulthood," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 14(1), pages 137-172.
    3. McAleer, Michael, 1995. "The significance of testing empirical non-nested models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 149-171, May.
    4. Corak, Miles, 2001. "Death and Divorce: The Long-Term Consequences of Parental Loss on Adolescents," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 19(3), pages 682-715, July.
    5. John Ermisch & Marco Francesconi & David J. Pevalin, 2004. "Parental partnership and joblessness in childhood and their influence on young people's outcomes," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 167(1), pages 69-101, February.
    6. Flavio Cunha & James J. Heckman, 2008. "Formulating, Identifying and Estimating the Technology of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skill Formation," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(4).
    7. Christopher J. Ruhm, 2004. "Parental Employment and Child Cognitive Development," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 39(1).
    8. Donna Ginther & Robert Pollak, 2004. "Family structure and children’s educational outcomes: Blended families, stylized facts, and descriptive regressions," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 41(4), pages 671-696, November.
    9. Wei-Jun J. Yeung & Greg J. Duncan & Martha S. Hill, 2001. "Childhood family structure and young adult behaviors," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 14(2), pages 271-299.
    10. John F. Ermisch & Marco Francesconi, 2001. "Family structure and children's achievements," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 14(2), pages 249-270.
    11. Heather Antecol & Kelly Bedard, 2007. "Does single parenthood increase the probability of teenage promiscuity, substance use, and crime?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 20(1), pages 55-71, February.
    12. Roger Wojtkiewicz, 1993. "Simplicity and complexity in the effects of parental structure on high school graduation," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 30(4), pages 701-717, November.
    13. Wilhelm, Mark O., 2006. "New data on charitable giving in the PSID," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 26-31, July.
    14. R. A. Wojtkiewicz, "undated". "Simplicity and complexity in the effects of parental structure on high school graduation," Institute for Research on Poverty Discussion Papers 993-93, University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty.
    15. Chib, Siddhartha, 1992. "Bayes inference in the Tobit censored regression model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1-2), pages 79-99.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mark Ottoni-Wilhelm & Ye Zhang & David B. Estell & Neil H. Perdue, 2017. "Raising charitable children: the effects of verbal socialization and role-modeling on children’s giving," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(1), pages 189-224, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marco Francesconi & Stephen Jenkins & Thomas Siedler, 2010. "Childhood family structure and schooling outcomes: evidence for Germany," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 23(3), pages 1073-1103, June.
    2. Marco Francesconi & Stephen P. Jenkins & Thomas Siedler, 2010. "The effect of lone motherhood on the smoking behavior of young adults," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(11), pages 1377-1384, November.
    3. Prevoo, Tyas & ter Weel, Bas, 2014. "The Effect of Family Disruption on Children's Personality Development: Evidence from British Longitudinal Data," IZA Discussion Papers 8712, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Bas ter Weel & Tyas Prevoo, 2014. "The effect of family disruption on children's personality development: Evidence from British longitudinal data," CPB Discussion Paper 295, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    5. Bas ter Weel & Tyas Prevoo, 2014. "The effect of family disruption on children's personality development: Evidence from British longitudinal data," CPB Discussion Paper 295.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    6. Karen Conway & Minghua Li, 2012. "Family structure and child outcomes: a high definition, wide angle “snapshot”," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 345-374, September.
    7. Donna K. Ginther & Robert A. Pollak, 2000. "Does family structure affect children's educational outcomes?," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2000-13, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    8. Alexander N. Slade & Andrea H. Beller & Elizabeth T. Powers, 2017. "Family structure and young adult health outcomes," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 175-197, March.
    9. Xi Song, 2016. "Diverging Mobility Trajectories: Grandparent Effects on Educational Attainment in One- and Two-Parent Families in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 1905-1932, December.
    10. Chiara Pronzato & Arnstein Aassve, 2019. "Parental breakup and children’s development: the role of time and of post-separation conditions," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 67-87, March.
    11. Terry-Ann Craigie, 2008. "Effects of Paternal Presence and Family Stability on Child Cognitive Performance," Working Papers 1015, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing..
    12. Letizia Mencarini & Silvia Pasqua & Agnese Romiti, 2014. "Children’s time use and family structure in Italy," CHILD Working Papers Series 27, Centre for Household, Income, Labour and Demographic Economics (CHILD) - CCA.
    13. Ribar, David C., 2004. "What Do Social Scientists Know About the Benefits of Marriage? A Review of Quantitative Methodologies," IZA Discussion Papers 998, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Björklund, Anders & Ginther, Donna K. & Sundström, Marianne, 2004. "Family Structure and Child Outcomes in the United States and Sweden," IZA Discussion Papers 1259, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Kelly Bedard & Allison Witman, 2020. "Family structure and the gender gap in ADHD," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 1101-1129, December.
    16. Naoko Akashi-Ronquest, 2009. "The impact of biological preferences on parental investments in children and step-children," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 59-81, March.
    17. Gloria Moroni, 2018. "Explaining Divorce Gaps in Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills of Children," Discussion Papers 18/16, Department of Economics, University of York.
    18. Timo Hener & Helmut Rainer & Thomas Siedler, 2016. "Political socialization in flux?: linking family non-intactness during childhood to adult civic engagement," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 179(3), pages 633-656, June.
    19. Claudia Wood Strow & Brian Kent Strow, 2008. "Evidence That the Presence of a Half‐Sibling Negatively Impacts a Child's Personal Development," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(2), pages 177-206, April.
    20. Natalie Obergruber, 2018. "Microeconometric Analysis of Individual and Institutional Determinants of Education and Occupational Choice," ifo Beiträge zur Wirtschaftsforschung, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 80.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Divorce; Marriage; Adolescence; Charitable giving; Donations; Volunteering; J12 (family structure); D64 (altruism); H40 (public goods);
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:11:y:2013:i:3:p:313-340. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.