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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Yale University

2014

Nonparametric estimation

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Simple Adjustment For Bandwidth Snooping, Timothy B. Armstrong, Michal Kolesár Dec 2014

A Simple Adjustment For Bandwidth Snooping, Timothy B. Armstrong, Michal Kolesár

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Kernel-based estimators are often evaluated at multiple bandwidths as a form of sensitivity analysis. However, if in the reported results, a researcher selects the bandwidth based on this analysis, the associated confidence intervals may not have correct coverage, even if the estimator is unbiased. This paper proposes a simple adjustment that gives correct coverage in such situations: replace the Normal quantile with a critical value that depends only on the kernel and ratio of the maximum and minimum bandwidths the researcher has entertained. We tabulate these critical values and quantify the loss in coverage for conventional confidence intervals. For a …


A Simple Adjustment For Bandwidth Snooping, Timothy B. Armstrong, Michal Kolesár Dec 2014

A Simple Adjustment For Bandwidth Snooping, Timothy B. Armstrong, Michal Kolesár

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

>Kernel-based estimators are often evaluated at multiple bandwidths as a form of sensitivity analysis. However, if in the reported results, a researcher selects the bandwidth based on this analysis, the associated confidence intervals may not have correct coverage, even if the estimator is unbiased. This paper proposes a simple adjustment that gives correct coverage in such situations: replace the normal quantile with a critical value that depends only on the kernel and ratio of the maximum and minimum bandwidths the researcher has entertained. We tabulate these critical values and quantify the loss in coverage for conventional confidence intervals. For a …


A Simple Adjustment For Bandwidth Snooping, Timothy B. Armstrong, Michal Kolesár Dec 2014

A Simple Adjustment For Bandwidth Snooping, Timothy B. Armstrong, Michal Kolesár

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Kernel-based estimators are often evaluated at multiple bandwidths as a form of sensitivity analysis. However, if in the reported results, a researcher selects the bandwidth based on this analysis, the associated confidence intervals may not have correct coverage, even if the estimator is unbiased. This paper proposes a simple adjustment that gives correct coverage in such situations: replace the Normal quantile with a critical value that depends only on the kernel and ratio of the maximum and minimum bandwidths the researcher has entertained. We tabulate these critical values and quantify the loss in coverage for conventional confidence intervals. For a …


A Simple Adjustment For Bandwidth Snooping, Timothy B. Armstrong, Michal Kolesár Dec 2014

A Simple Adjustment For Bandwidth Snooping, Timothy B. Armstrong, Michal Kolesár

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Kernel-based estimators such as local polynomial estimators in regression discontinuity designs are often evaluated at multiple bandwidths as a form of sensitivity analysis. However, if in the reported results, a researcher selects the bandwidth based on this analysis, the associated confidence intervals may not have correct coverage, even if the estimator is unbiased. This paper proposes a simple adjustment that gives correct coverage in such situations: replace the normal quantile with a critical value that depends only on the kernel and ratio of the maximum and minimum bandwidths the researcher has entertained. We tabulate these critical values and quantify the …