Instrumental Variables in Models with Multiple Outcomes: The General Unordered Case

James Heckman, Sergio Urzua and Edward Vytlacil

No 3565, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper develops the method of local instrumental variables for models with multiple, unordered treatments when treatment choice is determined by a nonparametric version of the multinomial choice model. Responses to interventions are permitted to be heterogeneous in a general way and agents are allowed to select a treatment (e.g., participate in a program) with at least partial knowledge of the idiosyncratic response to the treatments. We define treatment effects in a general model with multiple treatments as differences in counterfactual outcomes that would have been observed if the agent faced different choice sets. We show how versions of local instrumental variables can identify the corresponding treatment parameters. Direct application of local instrumental variables identifies the marginal treatment effect of one option versus the next best alternative without requiring knowledge of any structural parameters from the choice equation or any large support assumptions. Using local instrumental variables to identify other treatment parameters requires either large support assumptions or knowledge of the latent index function of the multinomial choice model.

Keywords: nonparametric; treatment effects; multinomial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 39 pages
Date: 2008-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dcm, nep-ecm and nep-knm
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (36)

Published - published in: Annales d'Economie et de Statistique, 2008, 91-92, 9-74

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Related works:
Journal Article: Instrumental Variables in Models with Multiple Outcomes: The General Unordered Case (2008)
Working Paper: INSTRUMENTAL VARIABLES IN MODELS WITH MULTIPLE OUTCOMES: THE GENERAL UNORDERED CASE (2008)
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