Learning Cooperative Games

This paper explores a PAC (probably approximately correct) learning model in cooperative games. Specifically, we are given $m$ random samples of coalitions and their values, taken from some unknown cooperative game; can we predict the values of unseen coalitions? We study the PAC learnability of several well-known classes of cooperative games, such as network flow games, threshold task games, and induced subgraph games. We also establish a novel connection between PAC learnability and core stability: for games that are efficiently learnable, it is possible to find payoff divisions that are likely to be stable using a polynomial number of samples.Comment: accepted to IJCAI 201

Human Capital Investments in Children: A Comparative Analysis of the Role of Parent-Child Shared Time in Selected Countries

Parents invest in their children's human capital in several ways. We investigate the extent to which the levels and composition of parent-child time varies across countries with different welfare regimes: Finland, Germany and the United States. We test the hypothesis of parent-child time as a form of human capital investment in children using a propensity score treatment effects approach that accounts for the possible endogenous nature of time use and human capital investment. Result: There is considerable evidence of welfare regime effects on parent-child shared time. Our results provide mixed support for the hypothesis that non-care related parent-child time is human capital enriching. The strongest support is found in the case of leisure time and eating time.parent-child time, comparative research, welfare regimes, Finland, Germany, USA, treatment effects, propensity score matching

Influence in Classification via Cooperative Game Theory

A dataset has been classified by some unknown classifier into two types of points. What were the most important factors in determining the classification outcome? In this work, we employ an axiomatic approach in order to uniquely characterize an influence measure: a function that, given a set of classified points, outputs a value for each feature corresponding to its influence in determining the classification outcome. We show that our influence measure takes on an intuitive form when the unknown classifier is linear. Finally, we employ our influence measure in order to analyze the effects of user profiling on Google's online display advertising.Comment: accepted to IJCAI 201

Does daylight savings time encourage physical activity?

pre-printBackground: Extending Daylight Savings Time (DST) has been identified as a policy intervention that may encourage physical activity. However, there has been little research on the question of if DST encourages adults to be more physically active. Methods: Data from residents of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah ages 18-64 who participated in the 2003-2009 American Time Use Survey are used to assess whether DST is associated with increased time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The analysis capitalizes on the natural experiment created because Arizona does not observe DST. Results: Both bivariate and multivariate analyses indicate that shifting 1 hour of daylight from morning to evening does not impact MVPA of Americans living in the southwest. Conclusions: While DST may affect the choices people make about the timing and location of their sports/recreational activities, the potential for DST to serve as a broad-based intervention that encourages greater sports/recreation participation is not supported by this analysis. Whether this null effect would persist in other climate situations is an open question

Physical activity during the transition from adolescence to adulthood

Working PaperBackground: We examine how age, life course roles, and contextual variables relate to both the composition and the overall level of physical activity in late adolescence and early adulthood. Methods: Data on 15-29 year old respondents in the 2003 American Time Use Survey are used to estimate multivariate logistic regressions that assess what factors are associated with meeting the recommended level of physical activity. Results: The proportion of respondents who do 30 minutes or more of team sports declines over the 15-29 year age range even after controlling for life course and contextual covariates. Parenthood, employment status, and school enrollment have selective effects on the odds of meeting physical activity recommendations. Conclusions: Given the declines in team sports activities, schools and public health officials should consider the potential benefits of promoting other options such as cardiovascular activities, strength training activities, and/or active transportation options

Over-scheduled or at loose ends? The shifting balance of adolescent time use

Working PaperLittle is known about the time use of American youth. In this study, time diary data from 1977-78 and 2003-05 are used to investigate time use in middle adolescence with the goals of ascertaining (1) changes in time use, (2) how socioeconomic and familial factors influence adolescent time allocation, and (3) the extent to which the mix of leisure undertaken by today's adolescents reflect a choice set that favors positive developmental experiences. The results suggest that over the past few decades, adolescents have substantially reduced their paid employment time while simultaneously increasing the time they spend in leisure. Adolescents' declining real wage rates appear to have contributed to this shift. In 2003-05, adolescents averaged over six hours per day in leisure activities with approximately two-thirds of their leisure time spent in passive activities and less than one-third spent in leisure pursuits that have a high probability of promoting personal growth

Does the teaching of home economics skills have an economic payoff? The case of clothing construction

Journal ArticleIn recent years secondary schools have begun to view their home economics programs as an increasing marginal portion of their overall curricula. Because no payments are made for goods produced at home, gauging the economic value of taking a home economics class has been difficult for students, parents, and administrators. This paper illustrates the use of two frequently proposed valuation techniques to assess the economic gains of taking a home economics course. In the calculations, specific reference is given to the case of clothing construction. Implications for school resource allocations and curriculum development are discussed

Evaluating the Impact of Financial Planners

The growing complexity of investment decision-making has increased the potential value of advice from a financial professional. Past research provides only a very partial answer to the question of whether professional financial advice leads to better investment practices and results. In this chapter, we review findings in the existing research literature, detail ‘best practice’ research approaches for drawing confident conclusions regarding causal influences, and provide an example of such an approach using data from the 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances. Our results suggest that the benefits of financial advice may be overstated in the absence of methodological rigor

Review of the economics of family time use

Journal ArticleTime is a limited resource. Yet, it is also the one resource with which all individuals are equally endowed on any given day. Why then is there such wide variation in how each of us chooses to use that time? What factors guide our decisions about time spent working versus time spent with family and friends? Why is it that activity patterns vary by gender, education level, and life cycle stage? In this essay, we review the economic model of household production that has been applied to investigations of family time use and summarize the insights that have been gained from the empirical tests of this model