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Which covariates should be controlled in propensity score matching? Evidence from a simulation study
Author(s) -
Cuong Nguyen Viet
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
statistica neerlandica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1467-9574
pISSN - 0039-0402
DOI - 10.1111/stan.12000
Subject(s) - propensity score matching , covariate , matching (statistics) , statistics , outcome (game theory) , estimation , econometrics , monte carlo method , mathematics , economics , management , mathematical economics
Propensity score matching is a widely‐used method to measure the effect of a treatment in social as well as medicine sciences. An important issue in propensity score matching is how to select conditioning variables in estimation of the propensity scores. It is commonly mentioned that variables which affect both program participation and outcomes are selected. Using Monte Carlo simulation, this paper shows that efficiency in estimation of the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated can be gained if all the available observed variables in the outcome equation are included in the estimation of propensity scores. This result still holds in the presence of non‐sampling errors in the observed control variables.