A Fast Estimator for Binary Choice Models with Spatial, Temporal, and Spatio-Temporal Interdependence. (24th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wucherpfennig, Julian; Kachi, Aya; Bormann, Nils-Christian; Hunziker, Philipp
• Is Part Of: Political analysis. Volume 29:Number 4(2021)
• Page Start: 570
• Page End: 576
• Publication Date: 2021-10-24
• Subjects: spatial autocorrelation -- temporal autocorrelation -- simultaneity -- discrete choice models -- pseudo maximum likelihood; Political science -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 320.011
• DOI: 10.1017/pan.2020.54
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1047-1987

Abstract

Abstract: Binary outcome models are frequently used in the social sciences and economics. However, such models are difficult to estimate with interdependent data structures, including spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal autocorrelation because jointly determined error terms in the reduced-form specification are generally analytically intractable. To deal with this problem, simulation-based approaches have been proposed. However, these approaches (i) are computationally intensive and impractical for sizable datasets commonly used in contemporary research, and (ii) rarely address temporal interdependence. As a way forward, we demonstrate how to reduce the computational burden significantly by (i) introducing analytically-tractable pseudo maximum likelihood estimators for latent binary choice models that exhibit interdependence across space and time and by (ii) proposing an implementation strategy that increases computational efficiency considerably. Monte Carlo experiments show that our estimators recover the parameter values as good as commonly used estimation alternatives and require only a fraction of the computational cost.