Computational Methods for Measuring the Difference of Empirical Distributions |
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| Authors: | Gregory L Poe Kelly L Giraud John B Loomis |
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| Institution: | Greg Poe is associate professor, Department of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University. Kelly Giraud is assistant professor, Department of Resource Economics and Development, University of New Hampshire. John Loomis is professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University. |
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| Abstract: | This paper presents a simple computational method for measuring the difference of independent empirical distributions estimated by bootstrapping or other resampling approaches. Using data from a field test of external scope in contingent valuation, this complete combinatorial method is compared with other methods (empirical convolutions, repeated sampling, normality, nonoverlapping confidence intervals) that have been suggested in the literature. Tradeoffs between methods are discussed in terms of programming complexity, time and computer resources required, bias, and the precision of the estimate. |
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| Keywords: | bootstrapping contingent valuation endangered species measuring differences of distributions scope testing |
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