Measurement error mechanisms matter: Agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting
The mechanism(s) that generate measurement error matter for inference. Survey measurement error is typically thought to represent simple misreporting correctable through improved measurement. But errors might also or alternatively reflect respondent misperceptions that materially affect the responde...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Agricultural and Applied Economics Association
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142318 |
| _version_ | 1855521172146356224 |
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| author | Abay, Kibrom A. Bevis, Leah Barrett, Christopher B. |
| author_browse | Abay, Kibrom A. Barrett, Christopher B. Bevis, Leah |
| author_facet | Abay, Kibrom A. Bevis, Leah Barrett, Christopher B. |
| author_sort | Abay, Kibrom A. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | The mechanism(s) that generate measurement error matter for inference. Survey measurement error is typically thought to represent simple misreporting correctable through improved measurement. But errors might also or alternatively reflect respondent misperceptions that materially affect the respondent decisions under study. We show analytically that these alternate data generating processes imply different appropriate regression specifications and have distinct effects on the bias in parameter estimates. We introduce a simple empirical technique to generate unbiased estimates under more general conditions and to apportion measurement error between misreporting and misperceptions in measurement error when one has both self‐reported and objectively measured observations of the same explanatory variable. We then apply these techniques to the longstanding question of agricultural intensification: Do farmers increase input application rates per unit area as the size of the plots they cultivate decreases? Using nationally representative data from four sub‐Saharan African countries, we find evidence that measurement error in plot size reflects a mixture of farmer misreporting and misperceptions. The results matter for inference around the intensification hypothesis and call into question whether more objective, precise measures are always preferable when estimating behavioral parameters. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace142318 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Agricultural and Applied Economics Association |
| publisherStr | Agricultural and Applied Economics Association |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1423182025-02-24T06:47:28Z Measurement error mechanisms matter: Agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting Abay, Kibrom A. Bevis, Leah Barrett, Christopher B. surveys farmers measurement field size farm inputs development economics smallholders intensification behaviour errors The mechanism(s) that generate measurement error matter for inference. Survey measurement error is typically thought to represent simple misreporting correctable through improved measurement. But errors might also or alternatively reflect respondent misperceptions that materially affect the respondent decisions under study. We show analytically that these alternate data generating processes imply different appropriate regression specifications and have distinct effects on the bias in parameter estimates. We introduce a simple empirical technique to generate unbiased estimates under more general conditions and to apportion measurement error between misreporting and misperceptions in measurement error when one has both self‐reported and objectively measured observations of the same explanatory variable. We then apply these techniques to the longstanding question of agricultural intensification: Do farmers increase input application rates per unit area as the size of the plots they cultivate decreases? Using nationally representative data from four sub‐Saharan African countries, we find evidence that measurement error in plot size reflects a mixture of farmer misreporting and misperceptions. The results matter for inference around the intensification hypothesis and call into question whether more objective, precise measures are always preferable when estimating behavioral parameters. 2021-03-01 2024-05-22T12:10:18Z 2024-05-22T12:10:18Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142318 en https://doi.org/10.3386/w26066 https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.295189 Open Access Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Abay, Kibrom A.; Bevis, Leah; and Barrett, Christopher B. 2021. Measurement error mechanisms matter: Agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 103(2): 498-522. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12173 |
| spellingShingle | surveys farmers measurement field size farm inputs development economics smallholders intensification behaviour errors Abay, Kibrom A. Bevis, Leah Barrett, Christopher B. Measurement error mechanisms matter: Agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting |
| title | Measurement error mechanisms matter: Agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting |
| title_full | Measurement error mechanisms matter: Agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting |
| title_fullStr | Measurement error mechanisms matter: Agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Measurement error mechanisms matter: Agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting |
| title_short | Measurement error mechanisms matter: Agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting |
| title_sort | measurement error mechanisms matter agricultural intensification with farmer misperceptions and misreporting |
| topic | surveys farmers measurement field size farm inputs development economics smallholders intensification behaviour errors |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142318 |
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