Essays on Empirical Matching Systems
This dissertation is a collection of three papers on empirical methods in matching systems. In Chapter 1, I study the estimation of treatment effects in the context of randomized controlled trials conducted with participants in matching systems. I show how conventional methods fail to account for th...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2024
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/153729 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0938-6929 |
| _version_ | 1826199695461974016 |
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| author | Karnani, Mohit |
| author2 | Duflo, Esther |
| author_facet | Duflo, Esther Karnani, Mohit |
| author_sort | Karnani, Mohit |
| collection | MIT |
| description | This dissertation is a collection of three papers on empirical methods in matching systems. In Chapter 1, I study the estimation of treatment effects in the context of randomized controlled trials conducted with participants in matching systems. I show how conventional methods fail to account for the interference across outcomes induced by matching systems, and therefore yield invalid estimates of causal parameters. I propose a method that solves the interference problem and apply it in two empirical settings. Chapter 2 studies the relevance of the configuration of on- and off-platform options when centralized matching systems operate alongside a decentralized matching process. In these situations, the existence of off-platform options in a decentralized system can affect the outcomes of participants in the centralized system who seek to be matched to on-platform options. We show this by developing and estimating a structural model that considers the interplay between on- and off-platform options in a matching system. Chapter 3 studies the causal effects of different screening and recruiting policies affecting applicants in the Chilean centralized college match. We show how machine learning methods can enhance these screening and recruiting policies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:24:34Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/153729 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:24:34Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1537292024-03-14T03:43:42Z Essays on Empirical Matching Systems Karnani, Mohit Duflo, Esther Pathak, Parag Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Economics This dissertation is a collection of three papers on empirical methods in matching systems. In Chapter 1, I study the estimation of treatment effects in the context of randomized controlled trials conducted with participants in matching systems. I show how conventional methods fail to account for the interference across outcomes induced by matching systems, and therefore yield invalid estimates of causal parameters. I propose a method that solves the interference problem and apply it in two empirical settings. Chapter 2 studies the relevance of the configuration of on- and off-platform options when centralized matching systems operate alongside a decentralized matching process. In these situations, the existence of off-platform options in a decentralized system can affect the outcomes of participants in the centralized system who seek to be matched to on-platform options. We show this by developing and estimating a structural model that considers the interplay between on- and off-platform options in a matching system. Chapter 3 studies the causal effects of different screening and recruiting policies affecting applicants in the Chilean centralized college match. We show how machine learning methods can enhance these screening and recruiting policies. Ph.D. 2024-03-13T13:29:58Z 2024-03-13T13:29:58Z 2024-02 2024-02-15T15:36:24.464Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/153729 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0938-6929 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright retained by author(s) https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Karnani, Mohit Essays on Empirical Matching Systems |
| title | Essays on Empirical Matching Systems |
| title_full | Essays on Empirical Matching Systems |
| title_fullStr | Essays on Empirical Matching Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Essays on Empirical Matching Systems |
| title_short | Essays on Empirical Matching Systems |
| title_sort | essays on empirical matching systems |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/153729 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0938-6929 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT karnanimohit essaysonempiricalmatchingsystems |