IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hhs/ifauwp/2004_009.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Non-parametric adjustment for covariates when estimating a treatment effect

Author

Listed:
  • Cantoni, Eva

    (Department of of Econometrics, University of Geneva)

  • de Luna, Xavier

    (Department of Statistics, Umeå University)

Abstract

We consider a non-parametric model for estimating the effect of a binary treatment on an outcome variable while adjusting for an observed covariate. A naive procedure consists in performing two separate non-parametric regression of the response on the covariate: one with the treated individuals and the other with the untreated. The treatment effect is then obtained by taking the difference between the two fitted regression functions. This paper proposes a backfitting algorithm which uses all the data for the two above-mentioned non-parametric regression. We give theoretical results showing that the resulting estimator of the treatment effect can have lower finite sample variance. This improvement may be achieved at the cost of a larger bias. However, in a simulation study we observe that mean squared error is lowest for the proposed backfitting estimator. When more than one covariate is observed our backfitting estimator can still be applied by using the propensity score (probability of being treated for a given setup of the covariates). We illustrate the use of the backfitting estimator in a several covariate situation with data on a training program for individuals having faced social and economic problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Cantoni, Eva & de Luna, Xavier, 2004. "Non-parametric adjustment for covariates when estimating a treatment effect," Working Paper Series 2004:9, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:ifauwp:2004_009
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.ifau.se/upload/pdf/se/2004/wp04-09.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anders Forslund & Daniela Froberg & Linus Lindqvist, 2004. "The Swedish Activity Guarantee," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 16, OECD Publishing.
    2. Schröder, Lena, 2004. "The role of youth programmes in the transition from school to work," Working Paper Series 2004:5, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    3. Nilsson, Anna, 2004. "Income inequality and crime: The case of Sweden," Working Paper Series 2004:6, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    4. Nilsson, Anna, 2004. "Income Inequality and Crime: The Case of Sweden," Research Papers in Economics 2004:3, Stockholm University, Department of Economics.
    5. Larsson, Laura, 2004. "Harmonizing unemployment and sickness insurance: Why (not)?," Working Paper Series 2004:8, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. van den Berg, Gerard J & Lindeboom, Maarten & Dolton, Peter J, 2004. "Survey non-response and unemployment duration," Working Paper Series 2004:12, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    2. Martin Söderström & Roope Uusitalo, 2010. "School Choice and Segregation: Evidence from an Admission Reform," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 112(1), pages 55-76, March.
    3. Larsson, Laura & Nordström Skans, Oskar, 2004. "Early indication of program performance: The case of a Swedish temporary employment program," Working Paper Series 2004:7, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    4. Yoonseok Lee, Donggyun Shin, Kwanho Shin, 2013. "Social Consequences of Economic Segregation," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 29, pages 189-210.
    5. Michael Cauvel & Miguel Alejandro Sanchez, 2023. "Life Expectancy and the Labor Share in the U.S," Working Papers PKWP2308, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    6. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Vassilis Tselios, 2010. "Inequalities in income and education and regional economic growth in western Europe," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 44(2), pages 349-375, April.
    7. Najmeh Izadi, 2012. "The Effect of Income Inequality on Property Crime: Evidence from Iran," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 4(5), pages 245-251.
    8. Ayse İmrohoroĝlu & Antonio Merlo & Peter Rupert, 2006. "Understanding the determinants of crime," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 30(2), pages 270-284, June.
    9. Bruno Decreuse & Steeve Mongrain & Tanguy van Ypersele, 2022. "Property crime and private protection allocation within cities: Theory and evidence," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(3), pages 1142-1163, July.
    10. Sorin M. S. Krammer & Addisu A. Lashitew & Jonathan P. Doh & Hari Bapuji, 2023. "Income inequality, social cohesion, and crime against businesses: Evidence from a global sample of firms," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(2), pages 385-400, March.
    11. Mark J. Garmaise & Tobias J. Moskowitz, 2004. "Bank Mergers and Crime: The Real and Social Effects of Credit Market Competition," NBER Working Papers 11006, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Matz Dahlberg & Magnus Gustavsson, 2008. "Inequality and Crime: Separating the Effects of Permanent and Transitory Income," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 70(2), pages 129-153, April.
    13. Muhammad Ahad, 2016. "Nexus between Income Inequality, Crime, Inflation and Poverty: NewEvidence fromStructural Breaksfor Pakistan," International Journal of Economics and Empirical Research (IJEER), The Economics and Social Development Organization (TESDO), vol. 4(3), pages 133-145, March.
    14. Lindokuhle Talent Zungu & Thamsanqa Reginald Mtshengu, 2023. "The Twin Impacts of Income Inequality and Unemployment on Murder Crime in African Emerging Economies: A Mixed Models Approach," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, February.
    15. Hinks, Timothy, 2020. "Bribery, motivations for bribery and life satisfaction in transitional countries," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    16. Garmaise, Mark J. & Moskowitz, Tobias J., 2005. "Bank Mergers and Crime: The Real and Social Effects of Credit Market Competition," Working Papers 202, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    17. Awais Anwar & Noman Arshed & Sofia Anwar, 2017. "Socio-economic Determinants of Crime: An Empirical Study of Pakistan," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(1), pages 312-322.
    18. Choe, Jongmook, 2008. "Income inequality and crime in the United States," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 101(1), pages 31-33, October.
    19. repec:pri:cepsud:158krueger is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Andersen, Torben M. & Haagen Pedersen, Lars, 2008. "Distribution and labour market incentives in the welfare state – Danish experiences," Working Paper Series 2008:10, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    21. Per Engström & Bertil Holmlund, 2007. "Worker Absenteeism in Search Equilibrium," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 109(3), pages 439-467, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Analysis of covariance; backfitting algorithm; linear smoothers; propensity score;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:hhs:ifauwp:2004_009. 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: Ali Ghooloo (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifagvse.html .

    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.