Measuring Peer Group Effects: A Study of Teenage Behavior
研究如何估计同伴群体对青少年行为的影响，发现简单模型显示显著效应，但联立方程估计后效应消失，提示需谨慎建模群体选择。
Individuals or households often have some scope for choice of peer groups, whether through the selection of neighborhood of residence, school, or friends. This study addresses the estimation of peer group effects in cases in which measures of peer group influence are potentially endogenous variables. Using a rich data set on individual behavior, the paper explores teenage pregnancy and school dropout behavior. For both cases, the estimation of a straightforward single-equation model yields statistically significant peer group effects; however, these effects disappear under simultaneous equation estimation. The results are robust and suggest the need for careful modeling of the choice of peer groups. Copyright 1992 by University of Chicago Press.