Weihua An, Pablo Estrada, Juan Estrada, David Jacho-Chavez
arXiv 2 Aug 2026 · Econometrics
arXiv:2608.01415 · PDF · Extracted main text
This paper proposes a model-based empirical method to identify influential individuals in risky behaviors. To determine the most influential individuals, we estimate peer influence using observational cross-sectional data from multiple social connections. Our empirical strategy employs the observed characteristics of distant individuals across multiple social networks as instruments to address the endogeneity arising from homophily. Using Add Health data, we find positive peer effects from friends and classmates on both cigarette smoking and marijuana use. Based on the estimated peer effects, we characterize the influencers in our sample.
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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.
| Reference | Intensity | Mentions | Sections | Main text | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arduini, Bisin, Özgür and Patacchini (2019) Dynamic social interactions and health risk behavior | 0.928 | 4 | 3 | 100% |
| 2 | Estrada (2022) Causal inference in multilayered networks self | 0.855 | 8 | 4 | 62% |
| 3 | Kuersteiner and Prucha (2020) Dynamic spatial panel models: networks, common shocks, and sequential exogeneity | 0.855 | 8 | 3 | 62% |
| CalvoArmengol_2009_RESTUD | unmatched citation key CalvoArmengol_2009_RESTUD | 0.737 | 3 | 2 | 100% |
| Bramoulle_2009_JoE | unmatched citation key Bramoulle_2009_JoE | 0.644 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 6 | Card and Giuliano (2013) Peer effects and multiple equilibria in the risky behavior of friends | 0.644 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 7 | Ushchev and Zenou (2020) Social norms in networks | 0.644 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 8 | Blume, Brock, Durlauf and Jayaraman (2015) Linear social interactions models | 0.511 | 4 | 2 | 25% |
| Sola_2013 | unmatched citation key Sola_2013 | 0.511 | 2 | 1 | 100% |
| 10 | Battaglini and Patacchini (2018) Influencing connected legislators | 0.405 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
Showing the top 10 of 42 scored citations. 3 of these could not be matched to a bibliography entry, so only the citation key is shown.
arXiv econ.EM papers that cite this one, ranked by how heavily they lean on it.
| Citing paper | Intensity | Mentions | Sections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regression with Observational Multilayered Network Data | 0.405 | 1 | 1 |