Estimation of a Heterogeneous Demand Function with Berkson Errors

A-Tier
Journal: Review of Economics and Statistics
Year: 2022
Volume: 104
Issue: 5
Pages: 877-889

Score contribution per author:

1.341 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Berkson errors are commonplace in empirical microeconomics. In consumer demand, this form of measurement error occurs when the price an individual pays is measured by the (weighted) average price paid by individuals in a group (e.g., a county) rather than the true transaction price. We show the importance of Berkson errors for demand estimation with nonseparable unobserved heterogeneity. We develop a consistent estimator using external information on the true price distribution. Examining gasoline demand in the United States, we document substantial within-market price variability. Accounting for Berkson errors is quantitatively important. Imposing the Slutsky shape constraint reduces sensitivity to Berkson errors.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:tpr:restat:v:104:y:2022:i:5:p:877-889
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-24