Design-Based Ratio Estimators and Central Limit Theorems for Clustered, Blocked RCTs

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Schochet, Peter Z., Pashley, Nicole E., Miratrix, Luke W., Kautz, Tim
Format: Preprint
Published: 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866929364595113984
author Schochet, Peter Z.
Pashley, Nicole E.
Miratrix, Luke W.
Kautz, Tim
author_facet Schochet, Peter Z.
Pashley, Nicole E.
Miratrix, Luke W.
Kautz, Tim
contents This article develops design-based ratio estimators for clustered, blocked randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with an application to a federally funded, school-based RCT testing the effects of behavioral health interventions. We consider finite population weighted least squares estimators for average treatment effects (ATEs), allowing for general weighting schemes and covariates. We consider models with block-by-treatment status interactions as well as restricted models with block indicators only. We prove new finite population central limit theorems for each block specification. We also discuss simple variance estimators that share features with commonly used cluster-robust standard error estimators. Simulations show that the design-based ATE estimator yields nominal rejection rates with standard errors near true ones, even with few clusters.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2002_01146
institution arXiv
publishDate 2020
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Design-Based Ratio Estimators and Central Limit Theorems for Clustered, Blocked RCTs
Schochet, Peter Z.
Pashley, Nicole E.
Miratrix, Luke W.
Kautz, Tim
Methodology
This article develops design-based ratio estimators for clustered, blocked randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with an application to a federally funded, school-based RCT testing the effects of behavioral health interventions. We consider finite population weighted least squares estimators for average treatment effects (ATEs), allowing for general weighting schemes and covariates. We consider models with block-by-treatment status interactions as well as restricted models with block indicators only. We prove new finite population central limit theorems for each block specification. We also discuss simple variance estimators that share features with commonly used cluster-robust standard error estimators. Simulations show that the design-based ATE estimator yields nominal rejection rates with standard errors near true ones, even with few clusters.
title Design-Based Ratio Estimators and Central Limit Theorems for Clustered, Blocked RCTs
topic Methodology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.01146