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EnsembleIV: Creating Instrumental Variables from Ensemble Learners for Robust Statistical Inference

Gordon Burtch, Edward McFowland III, Mochen Yang, Gediminas Adomavicius

arXiv 6 Mar 2023 · Econometrics

arXiv:2303.02820 · PDF · Extracted main text

Abstract

Despite increasing popularity in empirical studies, the integration of machine learning generated variables into regression models for statistical inference suffers from the measurement error problem, which can bias estimation and threaten the validity of inferences. In this paper, we develop a novel approach to alleviate associated estimation biases. Our proposed approach, EnsembleIV, creates valid and strong instrumental variables from weak learners in an ensemble model, and uses them to obtain consistent estimates that are robust against the measurement error problem. Our empirical evaluations, using both synthetic and real-world datasets, show that EnsembleIV can effectively reduce estimation biases across several common regression specifications, and can be combined with modern deep learning techniques when dealing with unstructured data.

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60
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104
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Most heavily cited references

The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.

ReferenceIntensityMentionsSectionsMain text
1Yang, M., McFowland III, E., Burtch, G., and Adomavicius, G (2022) Achieving reliable causal inference with data-mined variables: A random forest approach to the measurement error problem self1.000104100%
2Fong, C. and Tyler, M (2021) Machine learning predictions as regression covariates1.00054100%
3Allon, G., Chen, D., Jiang, Z., and Zhang, D (2023) Machine learning and prediction errors in causal inference0.92843100%
4Nevo, A. and Rosen, A. M (2012) Identification with imperfect instruments0.92843100%
5Yang, M., Adomavicius, G., Burtch, G., and Ren, Y (2018) Mind the gap: Accounting for measurement error and misclassification in variables generated via data mining self0.81142100%
6Küchenhoff, H., Mwalili, S. M., and Lesaffre, E (2006) A general method for dealing with misclassification in regression: The misclassification SIMEX0.73732100%
7Stefanski, A. L. A. and Cook, J. R (1995) Simulation-Extrapolation : The Measurement Error Jackknife0.73732100%
8Qiao, M. and Huang, K.-W (2021) Correcting misclassification bias in regression models with variables generated via data mining0.73732100%
9Wei, Y. and Malik, N (2022) Unstructured data, econometric models, and estimation bias0.73732100%
10Chernozhukov, V., Chetverikov, D., Demirer, M., Duflo, E., Hansen, C… (2018) Double/debiased machine learning for treatment and structural parameters: Double/debiased machine learning0.64422100%

Showing the top 10 of 60 scored citations.