2021/22 Reading Groups

SAN FRANCESCO COMPLEX – PIAZZA S. FRANCESCO 19

The purpose of the reading group organized by PhD students is to help students’ transition from coursework to research. We will discuss very recent papers applying tools from machine learning analysis to various economic questions. Moreover we will discuss strategies and econometric models to successfully identify causal relationships. The final goal of the reading group is to present cutting-edge quantitative methodologies that can help us in our daily empirical exercises.

The reading group will meet once per month, usually after or before the AXES seminar, for an hour in a mixed mode. Each time a student will present a paper which presents a novel methodology in the field of Machine Learning and Econometrics (for about 40 mins) followed by a discussion.

The reading group is organized by Chiara Bellucci, Alberto Hidalgo, Luigi Longo and Francesca Micocci .

• May 18, 2022 - 11-12:30

Presenter: Luigi Longo

Article: Joseph, A., (2020). Parametric inference with universal function approximators (No. 784). Bank of England.

Link: imt.lu/aula1

• June 15, 2022 - 11-12:30

Presenter: Chiara Bellucci

Article: Callaway, B., & Sant’Anna, P. H. (2021). Difference-in-differences with multiple time periods. Journal of Econometrics, 225(2), 200-230

Link: https://meet.google.com/dtt-rwbf-ocs?authuser=0&hs=122

• July 6, 2022 - 11-12:30

Presenter: Alberto Hidalgo

Article: Cinelli, C. and Hazlett, C. (2020). Making sense of sensitivity: Extending omitted variable bias. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series B (Statistical Methodology)

Link: imt.lu/aula1

• September 22, 2022 - 11-12:30

Presenter: Francesca Micocci

Article: Donnelly, R., Ruiz, F.J., Blei, D. et al. Counterfactual inference for consumer choice across many product categories. Quant Mark Econ 19, 369–407 (2021).

Link: imt.lu/aula1

• November 3, 2022 - 11-12:30

Presenter: Anna Mergoni (KU Leuven)

Article: A brief guide to non-parametrical Efficiency, and Mergoni and De Witte. "Policy evaluation and efficiency: a systematic literature review." International transactions in operational research 29.3 (2022): 1337-1359.

Link: imt.lu/aula1

• February 9, 2023 - 16-18:00

Presenter: Federico Nutarelli

Article: Chernozhukov, V., Demirer, M., Duflo, E., & Fernandez-Val, I. (2018). Generic machine learning inference on heterogeneous treatment effects in randomized experiments, with an application to immunization in India (No. w24678). National Bureau of Economic Research. Gnecco, G., Nutarelli, F., & Riccaboni, M. (2022). A machine learning approach to economic complexity based on matrix completion. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-10.

Link: imt.lu/aula2

• March 8, 2023 - 14-16:00

Presenter: Mathias Silva (Aix-Marseille School of Economics)

Article: Parametrics models of income distribution.

Link: imt.lu/aula1

• September 22, 2022 - 11-12:30

Presenter: Fabio Incerti

Article: Dong, J., & Rudin, C. (2020). Exploring the cloud of variable importance for the set of all good models. Nature Machine Intelligence, 2(12), 810-824.

Link: imt.lu/aula2

SAN FRANCESCO COMPLEX – PIAZZA S. FRANCESCO 19

This reading group represents a chance for PhD students to get a deeper understanding of the variety of research methods in Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Neuroscience, and Philosophy of Science. The regular meetings, held every 2 or 3 weeks, aim to use discussions to foster critical thinking and to identify strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. The emphasis is on methodology rather than on specific topics so to take advantage of our interdisciplinary community to increase spillovers across different, but intertwined, disciplines.

In each meeting, a volunteer presents and discusses an article that

i) applies a novel and rigorous methodology (such as, for example, an innovative and clean experimental design, an original theoretical contribution or a state-of-the-art econometric analysis) to examine behavior in an economically relevant context, and

ii) has been recently published in a specialized or general-interest journal with a high reputation.

The reading group is organized by Chiara Nardi (AXES) and Folco Panizza (MOBILAB).

• January 18, 2022 – 14:00-15:30
  Presenter: Federica Ruzzante

Article: Heyman, G. M. (2021). How individuals make choices explains addiction’s distinctive, non-eliminable features. Behavioural Brain Research, 397, 112899.

• February 3, 2022 – 14:00-15:30
  Presenter: Pablo Marcos-Prieto

Article: Mieth, L. and Buchner, A. and Bell, R. (2021). Cognitive load decreases cooperation and moral punishment in a Prisoner’s Dilemma game with punishment option. Scientific Reports, 11:24500.

• February 17, 2022 – 14:00-15:30
  Presenter: Erica Ordali

Article: Scheef, J. and Jusyte, A. and Schönenberg, M. (2018) Investigating social-contextual determinants of cooperation in incarcerated violent offenders. Scientific Reports, 8:17204.

• March 8 2022 – 14:00-15:30
  Presenter: Veronica Pizziol

Article: Dato, S., and Nieken, P. (2020). Gender differences in sabotage: the role of uncertainty and beliefs. Experimental Economics, 23(2), 353-391.

• March 30, 2022 – 14:00-15:30
  Presenter: Alessandro Demichelis

Article: Basol, M., Roozenbeek, J., and van der Linden, S. (2020). Good news about bad news: Gamified inoculation boosts confidence and cognitive immunity against fake news. Journal of cognition, 3(1), 1-9.

• May 10, 2022 – 14:00-15:30
  Presenter: Juan Francisco Blázquiz Pulido
  Article: Bicchieri, C., and Maras, M. (2022). Intentionality matters for third-party punishment but not compensation in trust games. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 197, 205–220.

• June 1, 2022 – 14:00-15:30
  Presenter: Bianca Sanesi

Article: Fainmesser, I. P., and Galeotti, A. (2021). The market for online influence. American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, 13(4), 332-72.

• June 23, 2022 – 14:00-15:30
  Presenter: Niccolò Toccafondi

Article: TBD