At What Level Should One Cluster Standard Errors in Paired and Small-Strata Experiments?

Clément de Chaisemartin and Jaime Ramirez-Cuellar

Papers from arXiv.org

Abstract: In matched-pairs experiments in which one cluster per pair of clusters is assigned to treatment, to estimate treatment effects, researchers often regress their outcome on a treatment indicator and pair fixed effects, clustering standard errors at the unit-ofrandomization level. We show that even if the treatment has no effect, a 5%-level t-test based on this regression will wrongly conclude that the treatment has an effect up to 16.5% of the time. To fix this problem, researchers should instead cluster standard errors at the pair level. Using simulations, we show that similar results apply to clustered experiments with small strata.

Date: 2019-06, Revised 2023-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ecm and nep-exp
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Related works:
Journal Article: At What Level Should One Cluster Standard Errors in Paired and Small-Strata Experiments? (2024)
Working Paper: At What Level Should One Cluster Standard Errors in Paired and Small-Strata Experiments? (2022)
Working Paper: At What Level Should One Cluster Standard Errors in Paired and Small-Strata Experiments? (2022)
Working Paper: At What Level Should One Cluster Standard Errors in Paired and Small-Strata Experiments? (2020)
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