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The Econometrics of Randomized Experiments

Susan Athey, Guido Imbens

arXiv 3 Jul 2016 · Statistics — Methodology · 14 citations (OpenAlex)

arXiv:1607.00698 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

In this review, we present econometric and statistical methods for analyzing randomized experiments. For basic experiments we stress randomization-based inference as opposed to sampling-based inference. In randomization-based inference, uncertainty in estimates arises naturally from the random assignment of the treatments, rather than from hypothesized sampling from a large population. We show how this perspective relates to regression analyses for randomized experiments. We discuss the analyses of stratified, paired, and clustered randomized experiments, and we stress the general efficiency gains from stratification. We also discuss complications in randomized experiments such as non-compliance. In the presence of non-compliance we contrast intention-to-treat analyses with instrumental variables analyses allowing for general treatment effect heterogeneity. We consider in detail estimation and inference for heterogeneous treatment effects in settings with (possibly many) covariates. These methods allow researchers to explore heterogeneity by identifying subpopulations with different treatment effects while maintaining the ability to construct valid confidence intervals. We also discuss optimal assignment to treatment based on covariates in such settings. Finally, we discuss estimation and inference in experiments in settings with interactions between units, both in general network settings and in settings where the population is partitioned into groups with all interactions contained within these groups.

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5Inference for Matched Tuples and Fully Blocked Factorial Designs0.64422
6A Primer on the Analysis of Randomized Experiments and a Survey of some Recent Advances0.64422
7The State of Applied Econometrics - Causality and Policy Evaluation0.51121
8Inference in Experiments with Matched Pairs and Imperfect Compliance0.51121
9Testing the Significance of the Difference-in-Differences Coefficient via Doubly Randomised Inference0.51121
10Identification and Estimation of Spillover Effects in Randomized Experiments0.40511