Comments on: Econometric methodology for human mating http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/ just asking that aid benefit the poor Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:21:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: La longitud de la cadena y la relación principal-agente « Las Danaides http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7150 La longitud de la cadena y la relación principal-agente « Las Danaides Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:03:34 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7150 [...] académico que esté a la última. Sin embargo, la realidad está mucho más a ras de suelo. En este divertido artículo, el  cínico pero  agudo Bill Easterly habla de lo que realmente pasa en un proyecto de [...] [...] académico que esté a la última. Sin embargo, la realidad está mucho más a ras de suelo. En este divertido artículo, el  cínico pero  agudo Bill Easterly habla de lo que realmente pasa en un proyecto de [...]

]]> By: From Poverty to Power by Duncan Green » Blog Archive » Aid, growth and love; North Korea; people power; sleepless physicists; Afghan fudge and a warmer world map: links I liked http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7142 From Poverty to Power by Duncan Green » Blog Archive » Aid, growth and love; North Korea; people power; sleepless physicists; Afghan fudge and a warmer world map: links I liked Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:50:23 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7142 [...] Talking of aid sceptics, Bill Easterly asks if aid is more like science or falling in love [...] [...] Talking of aid sceptics, Bill Easterly asks if aid is more like science or falling in love [...]

]]> By: florian http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7092 florian Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:33:07 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7092 Maybe one should look at the results to determine the more appropriate approach (brain vs. guts). In Germany e.g. the divorce rate is more than 50% - pls compare with the rate of failed aid projects. For more indepth analysis it might be helpfull to look at mid- and long-term results: failure within the first year, after 3, after 7 years of marriages/projects. Randomly collected field data from Sri Lanka suggests that the scientific, or rather economic, approach (i.e. arranged marriages) yields more sustainable results than the feelings-based (i.e. love marriages). If this is true for marriages maybe it is worth considering for aid projects as well... Maybe one should look at the results to determine the more appropriate approach (brain vs. guts). In Germany e.g. the divorce rate is more than 50% – pls compare with the rate of failed aid projects. For more indepth analysis it might be helpfull to look at mid- and long-term results: failure within the first year, after 3, after 7 years of marriages/projects.
Randomly collected field data from Sri Lanka suggests that the scientific, or rather economic, approach (i.e. arranged marriages) yields more sustainable results than the feelings-based (i.e. love marriages).
If this is true for marriages maybe it is worth considering for aid projects as well…

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7084 uberVU - social comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:09:48 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7084 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by MarkThoma: Econometric methodology for human mating - Aid Watch http://icio.us/kdzqju... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by MarkThoma: Econometric methodology for human mating – Aid Watch http://icio.us/kdzqju...

]]> By: D. Watson http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7083 D. Watson Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:03:29 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7083 Too Much Fun with analogies: 1 - He ignored the self-selection bias. It's only about qualities that make the average guy happy if he thinks he is the average guy. He needed to find a bunch of guys very similar to himself and examine the qualities that made a difference FROM AMONG the population of women willing to marry guys like him. If he then approached a women who was not in that sample, no wonder he was rejected. 2 - He ignored endogeneity. Marriage is a matching game with (at least) 2 endogenous variables. Instead of trying to convince her that research showed she would make him happy, he needed to present research that demonstrated he would make her happy, and that's the other half of the regression: male qualities on marital happiness. No wonder she rejected him: his regressions didn't answer her question! Personally, I took more of a Bayesian approach. First, by trying to become a friend, I identified if she was in the group of people who would marry someone like me. Each interaction gave me more information about the error term. After any failed relationship, I had a new variable or two to add to my equations so that the error term got closer and closer to being white noise and the standard errors on the coefficients got smaller as I understood the 'relationships' between relationship variables better. An alternative way of putting that is that I learned more and better policies over time that I could enact in the particular situations I was likely to face. In the end, I've married someone who has all the good qualities in the best people I dated and avoids all of the relationship ending problems, and I've learned how to make such a person happy so I can keep her. Too Much Fun with analogies:

1 – He ignored the self-selection bias. It’s only about qualities that make the average guy happy if he thinks he is the average guy. He needed to find a bunch of guys very similar to himself and examine the qualities that made a difference FROM AMONG the population of women willing to marry guys like him. If he then approached a women who was not in that sample, no wonder he was rejected.

2 – He ignored endogeneity. Marriage is a matching game with (at least) 2 endogenous variables. Instead of trying to convince her that research showed she would make him happy, he needed to present research that demonstrated he would make her happy, and that’s the other half of the regression: male qualities on marital happiness. No wonder she rejected him: his regressions didn’t answer her question!

Personally, I took more of a Bayesian approach. First, by trying to become a friend, I identified if she was in the group of people who would marry someone like me. Each interaction gave me more information about the error term. After any failed relationship, I had a new variable or two to add to my equations so that the error term got closer and closer to being white noise and the standard errors on the coefficients got smaller as I understood the ‘relationships’ between relationship variables better. An alternative way of putting that is that I learned more and better policies over time that I could enact in the particular situations I was likely to face.

In the end, I’ve married someone who has all the good qualities in the best people I dated and avoids all of the relationship ending problems, and I’ve learned how to make such a person happy so I can keep her.

]]> By: Jim http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7082 Jim Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:59:30 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7082 Great post. I think the key to a good relationship is the opposite of the key to good economics - forget about the opportunity cost. Great post. I think the key to a good relationship is the opposite of the key to good economics – forget about the opportunity cost.

]]> By: Some thoughts on MDGs 2.0 « Aid Thoughts http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7081 Some thoughts on MDGs 2.0 « Aid Thoughts Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:43:40 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7081 [...] hope the analogy is clear -  we development bloggers are not known for our wonderful analogies (sorry Bill). One of the main criticisms of the Millennium Development Goals was that, as global, [...] [...] hope the analogy is clear -  we development bloggers are not known for our wonderful analogies (sorry Bill). One of the main criticisms of the Millennium Development Goals was that, as global, [...]

]]> By: Les liens du matin (61) « Rationalité Limitée http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7080 Les liens du matin (61) « Rationalité Limitée Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:04:36 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7080 [...] liens du matin (61) * “Econometric methodology for human mating” – William [...] [...] liens du matin (61) * “Econometric methodology for human mating” – William [...]

]]> By: Jeff Toohig http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7077 Jeff Toohig Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:00:46 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7077 Ha! Fantastic. And some great comments in response, especially George. Not everything measurable is important and not everything important is measurable. Ha! Fantastic. And some great comments in response, especially George.

Not everything measurable is important and not everything important is measurable.

]]> By: Michael Clemens http://aidwatchers.com/2009/10/econometric-methodology-for-human-mating/comment-page-1/#comment-7076 Michael Clemens Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:34:26 +0000 http://aidwatchers.com/?p=1399#comment-7076 This is a perfect example of how to communicate a complex idea concisely via an imperfect yet apt analogy. This is a perfect example of how to communicate a complex idea concisely via an imperfect yet apt analogy.

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