每日简报

低阶结果模型与聚类设计：网络干扰下结合设计和分析的因果推断AI 解读

Variance reduction for causal inference in the presence of network interference is often achieved through either outcome modeling, typically analyzed under unit-randomized Bernoulli designs, or clustered experimental designs, typically analyzed without strong parametric assumptions. In this work, we study the intersection of these two approaches and make the following threefold contributions. First, we present an estimator of the total treatment effect (or global average…

协变量自适应随机化下两阶段实验的推断AI 解读

This paper studies inference in two-stage randomized experiments under covariate-adaptive randomization. In the initial stage of this experimental design, clusters (e.g., households, schools, or graph partitions) are stratified and randomly assigned to control or treatment groups based on cluster-level covariates. Subsequently, an independent second-stage design is carried out, wherein units within each treated cluster are further stratified and randomly assigned to either…

潜在结局实验的因果推断：关键结果及其设计与分析含义AI 解读

How should researchers analyze randomized experiments in which the main outcome is latent and measured in multiple ways but each measure contains some degree of error? We first identify a critical study-specific noncomparability problem in existing methods for handling multiple measurements, which often rely on strong modeling assumptions or arbitrary standardization. Such approaches render the resulting estimands noncomparable across studies. To address the problem, we…

基于反事实预测的处理效应估计AI 解读

We consider estimation and inference of the effects of a policy in the absence of an untreated or control group. We obtain unbiased estimators of individual (heterogeneous) treatment effects and a consistent and asymptotically normal estimator of the average treatment effect. Our estimator averages, across individuals, the difference between observed post-treatment outcomes and unbiased forecasts of their counterfactuals, based on a (short) time series of pre-treatment data.…

贝叶斯平滑分位数回归AI 解读

The standard asymmetric Laplace framework for Bayesian quantile regression (BQR) suffers from a fundamental decision-theoretic misalignment, yielding biased finite-sample estimates, and precludes gradient-based computation due to non-smoothness. We propose Bayesian smoothed quantile regression (BSQR), a principled framework built on a kernel-smoothed, fully differentiable likelihood. Methodologically, the symmetrizing property of our objective reduces inferential bias and…

厘清序贯平行比较设计中治疗效应的识别与估计AI 解读

Sequential parallel comparison design (SPCD) clinical trials aim to adjust active treatment effect estimates for placebo response to minimize the impact of placebo responders on the estimates. This is potentially accomplished using a two stage design by measuring treatment effects among all participants during the first stage, then classifying some placebo arm participants as placebo non-responders who will be re-randomized in the second stage. In this paper, we use causal…

冲突图设计：任意邻域干扰下的因果效应估计AI 解读

A fundamental problem in network experiments is selecting an appropriate experimental design in order to precisely estimate a given causal effect of interest. In this work, we propose the Conflict Graph Design, a general approach for constructing experiment designs under network interference with the goal of precisely estimating a pre-specified causal effect. A central aspect of our approach is the notion of a conflict graph, which captures the fundamental unobservability…

自适应 Neyman 分配AI 解读

In the experimental design literature, Neyman allocation refers to the practice of allocating units into treated and control groups, potentially in unequal numbers proportional to their respective standard deviations, with the objective of minimizing the variance of the treatment effect estimator. This widely recognized approach increases statistical power in scenarios where the treated and control groups have different standard deviations, as is often the case in social…

基于部分处理历史的边际结构模型：时变处理效应估计AI 解读

Inverse probability (IP) weighting of marginal structural models (MSMs) can provide consistent estimators of time-varying treatment effects under correct model specifications and identifiability assumptions, even in the presence of time-varying confounding. However, this method has two problems: (i) inefficiency due to IP-weights cumulating all time points and (ii) bias and inefficiency due to the MSM misspecification. To address these problems, we propose (i) new IP-weights…

基于双重／去偏机器学习的时变连续处理双重差分AI 解读

We propose a difference-in-differences (DiD) framework designed for time-varying continuous treatments across multiple periods. Specifically, we estimate the average treatment effect on the treated (ATET) by comparing distinct non-zero treatment intensities. Identification rests on a conditional parallel trends assumption that accounts for observed covariates and past treatment histories. Our approach allows for lagged treatment effects and, in repeated cross-sectional…

双向聚类依赖下的极端分位数AI 解读

This paper studies extremal quantiles under two-way clustered dependence. We show that the limiting distribution of unconditional intermediate-order tail quantiles is Gaussian. This result is notable because two-way clustering typically leads to non-Gaussian limiting behavior. Remarkably, extremal quantiles remain asymptotically Gaussian even in degenerate cases. Building on this insight, we extend our analysis to extremal quantile regression at intermediate orders.…

高维尾指数回归AI 解读

Motivated by the empirical observation of power-law distributions in the credits (e.g., ``likes'') of viral posts in social media, we introduce a high-dimensional tail index regression model and propose methods for estimation and inference of its parameters. First, we propose a regularized estimator, establish its consistency, and derive its convergence rate. Second, we debias the regularized estimator to facilitate inference and prove its asymptotic normality. Simulation…

利用工具变量在内生性下学习政策规则AI 解读

I propose a framework for learning individualized policy rules in observational data settings characterized by endogenous treatment selection and the availability of an instrumental variable. I introduce encouragement rules that manipulate the instrument. By incorporating the marginal treatment effect (MTE) as a policy invariant parameter, I establish the identification of the social welfare criterion for the optimal encouragement rule. Focusing on binary encouragement…

重新审视同质产品市场中行为参数的识别AI 解读

We revisit the identification of the conduct parameter in homogeneous goods markets. Lau (1982) argues that the conduct parameter is not identified if and only if the inverse demand function is separable, except for a specific separable function. This result has been regarded as an extension of the result in Bresnahan (1982) to more general settings. However, we show that Lau's claim is incorrect and provide a new characterization of the non-identification. Our…

内生网络图上的实验设计与效应估计AI 解读

We study experimentation under endogenous network interference. Interference patterns are mediated by an endogenous graph, where edges can be formed or eliminated as a result of treatment. We show that conventional estimators are biased in these circumstances, and present a class of unbiased, consistent and asymptotically normal estimators of total treatment effects in the presence of such interference. We show via simulation that our estimator outperforms existing…

性别工资差距中的分位数选择校正AI 解读

We propose a new approach to estimate selection-corrected quantiles of the gender wage gap. Our method employs instrumental variables that explain variation in the latent variable but, conditional on the latent process, do not directly affect selection. We provide semiparametric identification of the quantile parameters without imposing parametric restrictions on the selection probability, derive the asymptotic distribution of the proposed estimator based on constrained…

通过因果桥结合生成建模与自编码器AI 解读

We consider inferring the causal effect of a treatment (intervention) on an outcome of interest in situations where there is potentially an unobserved confounder influencing both the treatment and the outcome. This is achievable by assuming access to two separate sets of control (proxy) measurements associated with treatment and outcomes, which are used to estimate treatment effects through a function termed the em causal bridge (CB). We present a new theoretical…

基于相关误差贝叶斯有向循环图模型的多变量双向孟德尔随机化AI 解读

Mendelian randomization (MR) is a pivotal tool in genetics, genomics, and epidemiology, leveraging genetic variants as instrumental variables to infer causal relationships between exposures and outcomes. Traditional MR methods, while powerful, often rely on stringent assumptions such as the absence of feedback loops, which are frequently violated in complex biological networks. In addition, many popular MR approaches focus on only two variables (i.e., one exposure and one…

如何选择因果推断的协变量平衡方法：模拟研究的实践启示AI 解读

Background: Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) is used for confounding adjustment in observational studies. Newer weighting methods include energy balancing (EB), kernel optimal matching (KOM), and tailored-loss covariate balancing propensity scores (TLF), but practical guidance remains limited. We evaluate their performance when implemented according to published recommendations. Methods: We conducted Monte Carlo simulations across 36 scenarios varying sample…

阈值操纵下的因果推断：贝叶斯混合模型与异质处理效应AI 解读

Many marketing applications, including credit card incentive programs, offer rewards to customers who exceed specific spending thresholds to encourage increased consumption. Quantifying the causal effect of these thresholds on customers is crucial for effective marketing strategy design. Although regression discontinuity design is a standard method for such causal inference tasks, its assumptions can be violated when customers, aware of the thresholds, strategically…