scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question

Showing papers on "Proxy (statistics) published in 1985"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of the literature provides three possible explanations for inventory accounting choices: political costs, agency costs, and divergent production and investment characteristics as mentioned in this paper, and the major purpose of this paper is to test the three explanations cited above in a simultaneous manner using multivariate probit methods.
Abstract: In the past decade, hundreds of firms switched to the LIFO accounting method for their inventories in response to high rates of inflation. Nevertheless, many others continue to use the FIFO method. Biddle [1980] estimated that each of the 105 FIFO firms in his study paid an average of nearly $26 million in additional federal income tax. What makes these FIFO firms so reluctant to switch accounting methods? A review of the literature provides three possible explanations for inventory accounting choices: political costs, agency costs, and divergent production and investment characteristics. Because the required economic variables to test these three alternative explanations are not observable, the empirical tests are based on examination of proxy variables. Many of the proxy variables of the first and third explanations are the same, so it is difficult to discriminate one from the other using univariate statistical methods. For example, there is consistent evidence of an association between size and inventory accounting choices. But size can serve as a proxy for either political costs, or divergent production and investment opportunities, or both. Similarly, there is also strong evidence that the type of industry is associated with inventory choice, which could also be consistent with both explanations. The major purpose of this paper is to test the three explanations cited above in a simultaneous manner using multivariate probit methods.

65 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Findings from a telephone adaptation of the National Health Interview Survey designed to investigate response error associated with self and proxy reports show that when self response is limited to a randomly selected respondent, the self respondents report fewer health events for themselves versus for others in their household.
Abstract: Survey researchers believe that self reports, in general, are more accurate than reports obtained by proxy. This paper focuses on the reassessment of previous self/proxy comparisons and presents findings from a telephone adaptation of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) designed to investigate response error associated with self and proxy reports. Unlike previous studies in which the type of report is confounded with characteristics of the population home at the time of the interview, the design of this study (random allocation to self or proxy report) allows comparison of reports from similar populations. The results show that when self response is limited to a randomly selected respondent, the self respondents report fewer health events for themselves versus for others in their household.

42 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors used citations as a proxy for quality of material published, as revealed preference for the journals and found that citations reveal preferences for the top economics journals, much as dollars reveal preferences in product markets.
Abstract: There are several measures which can be used to evaluate professional regard for economics journals. In this paper, I have focused on citations as a proxy for quality of material published, as revealed preference for the journals. The availability of the Social Sciences Citation Index has permitted construction of a relative rating system for economics journals, based on citations, which was virtually impossible for previous researchers to achieve. While the potential objections to using citations as a proxy have been admitted, the proxy is still a useful one — one that reveals preferences for the top economics journals, much as dollars reveal preferences in product markets.

36 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There is little evidence that proxy reports are affected by systematic errors arising from projection of own beliefs onto the spouse, and for desired family size, random measurement error in both proxy and self reports is of far greater concern than is systematic error.
Abstract: This paper examines biases that may occur when models of couple behavior are estimated using one partner’s report of own and of spouse’s desired family size rather than independent reports obtained from both partners. When estimates of random measurement error are incorporated in a model of couple fertility expectations, proxy reports are valid indicators of spouse desires. In particular, there is little evidence that proxy reports are affected by systematic errors arising from projection of own beliefs onto the spouse. For desired family size, random measurement error in both proxy and self reports is of far greater concern than is systematic error.

28 citations


Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, a model-based approach is used to derive quarterly figures on several variables for the aggregate labor market in the Netherlands that are only observed annually. And attention is given to the properties of estimation procedures based on proxy variables.
Abstract: We use a model-based approach to derive quarterly figures on several variables for the aggregate labor market in the Netherlands that are only observed annually. These approximations are conditional expectations derived from univariate and bivariate quarterly time series models for the series under consideration. They are subsequently used as proxies to estimate and analyze the structural labor market equations. Attention is given to the properties of estimation procedures based on proxy variables.

19 citations



Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 1985

12 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
Kazuhiro Ohtani1
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the effects of the use of a proxy variable on the test for an observable variable and showed that using a proxy is better than omitting an unobservable variable in terms of the effects on the size of the test.

8 citations



Journal ArticleDOI

2 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of proxy variables on homoscedasticity were examined and it was shown that using a proxy variable is better than omitting an unobservable variable in terms of the effects on the level of significance of the test for homoscivality.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Investigation of the family records of the real life Baron von Munchausen in Germany reveal that Polle syndrome is an inappropriate title originally derived from incorrect information.
Abstract: The terms Munchausen syndrome by proxy and Polle syndrome have both been used to describe the situation in which one person persistently fabricates illness on behalf of another (usually a mother on behalf of her child). However, investigation of the family records of the real life Baron von Munchausen in Germany reveal that Polle syndrome is an inappropriate title originally derived from incorrect information.