IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/econom/v158y2010i2p204-220.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Akaike-type criteria and the reliability of inference: Model selection versus statistical model specification

Author

Listed:
  • Spanos, Aris

Abstract

Since the 1990s, the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and its various modifications/extensions, including BIC, have found wide applicability in econometrics as objective procedures that can be used to select parsimonious statistical models. The aim of this paper is to argue that these model selection procedures invariably give rise to unreliable inferences, primarily because their choice within a prespecified family of models (a) assumes away the problem of model validation, and (b) ignores the relevant error probabilities. This paper argues for a return to the original statistical model specification problem, as envisaged by Fisher (1922), where the task is understood as one of selecting a statistical model in such a way as to render the particular data a truly typical realization of the stochastic process specified by the model in question. The key to addressing this problem is to replace trading goodness-of-fit against parsimony with statistical adequacy as the sole criterion for when a fitted model accounts for the regularities in the data.

Suggested Citation

  • Spanos, Aris, 2010. "Akaike-type criteria and the reliability of inference: Model selection versus statistical model specification," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 158(2), pages 204-220, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:econom:v:158:y:2010:i:2:p:204-220
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304-4076(10)00014-X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Helmut Lütkepohl, 2005. "New Introduction to Multiple Time Series Analysis," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-540-27752-1, September.
    2. Elena Andreou & Aris Spanos, 2003. "Statistical Adequacy and the Testing of Trend Versus Difference Stationarity," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 217-237, January.
    3. Leeb, Hannes & Pötscher, Benedikt M., 2005. "Model Selection And Inference: Facts And Fiction," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(1), pages 21-59, February.
    4. Spanos,Aris, 1986. "Statistical Foundations of Econometric Modelling," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521269124.
    5. Bénédicte Vidaillet & V. d'Estaintot & P. Abécassis, 2005. "Introduction," Post-Print hal-00287137, HAL.
    6. Spanos,Aris, 1999. "Probability Theory and Statistical Inference," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521424080.
    7. Aris Spanos & Anya McGuirk, 2001. "The Model Specification Problem from a Probabilistic Reduction Perspective," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 83(5), pages 1168-1176.
    8. Claeskens,Gerda & Hjort,Nils Lid, 2008. "Model Selection and Model Averaging," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521852258.
    9. Aris Spanos, 2006. "Revisiting the omitted variables argument: Substantive vs. statistical adequacy," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 179-218.
    10. Qi Li & Jeffrey Scott Racine, 2006. "Nonparametric Econometrics: Theory and Practice," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 8355.
    11. Spanos, Aris, 1995. "On theory testing in econometrics : Modeling with nonexperimental data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 189-226, May.
    12. Aris Spanos, 2001. "Revisiting data mining: 'hunting' with or without a license," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 231-264.
    13. Aris Spanos, 2009. "Statistical Misspecification and the Reliability of Inference: The Simple T-Test in the Presence of Markov Dependence," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 25, pages 165-213.
    14. Spanos, Aris, 1990. "The simultaneous-equations model revisited : Statistical adequacy and identification," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 44(1-2), pages 87-105.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bao, Te & Diks, Cees & Li, Hao, 2018. "A generalized CAPM model with asymmetric power distributed errors with an application to portfolio construction," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 611-621.
    2. Anna Conte & Peter Moffatt, 2014. "The econometric modelling of social preferences," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 76(1), pages 119-145, January.
    3. Michaelides, Michael & Spanos, Aris, 2020. "On modeling heterogeneity in linear models using trend polynomials," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 74-86.
    4. Rubin, Mark, 2020. "Does preregistration improve the credibility of research findings?," MetaArXiv vgr89, Center for Open Science.
    5. P. Dorian Owen, 2017. "Evaluating Ingenious Instruments for Fundamental Determinants of Long-Run Economic Growth and Development," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-33, September.
    6. Spanos, Aris, 2010. "Statistical adequacy and the trustworthiness of empirical evidence: Statistical vs. substantive information," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 1436-1452, November.
    7. Aris Spanos, 2022. "Frequentist Model-based Statistical Induction and the Replication Crisis," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 20(1), pages 133-159, September.
    8. Aris Spanos, 2016. "Transforming structural econometrics: substantive vs. statistical premises of inference," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 426-437, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aris Spanos, 2018. "Mis†Specification Testing In Retrospect," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 541-577, April.
    2. Spanos, Aris, 2010. "Statistical adequacy and the trustworthiness of empirical evidence: Statistical vs. substantive information," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 1436-1452, November.
    3. Aris Spanos, 2016. "Transforming structural econometrics: substantive vs. statistical premises of inference," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 426-437, July.
    4. Niraj Poudyal & Aris Spanos, 2022. "Model Validation and DSGE Modeling," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-25, April.
    5. Aris Spanos, 2009. "Statistical Misspecification and the Reliability of Inference: The Simple T-Test in the Presence of Markov Dependence," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 25, pages 165-213.
    6. Spanos, Aris, 2009. "The Pre-Eminence of Theory versus the European CVAR Perspective in Macroeconometric Modeling," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 3, pages 1-14.
    7. Anya McGuirk & Aris Spanos, 2009. "Revisiting Error‐Autocorrelation Correction: Common Factor Restrictions and Granger Non‐Causality," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 71(2), pages 273-294, April.
    8. Spanos, Aris, 2008. "The 'Pre-Eminence of Theory' versus the 'General-to-Specific' Cointegrated VAR Perspectives in Macro-Econometric Modeling," Economics Discussion Papers 2008-25, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    9. Aris Spanos & Niki Papadopoulou, 2013. "A Small Macroeconometric Model for the Cyprus Economy," Working Papers 2013-2, Central Bank of Cyprus.
    10. Aris Spanos, 2006. "Revisiting the omitted variables argument: Substantive vs. statistical adequacy," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 179-218.
    11. Aris Spanos, 2022. "Frequentist Model-based Statistical Induction and the Replication Crisis," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 20(1), pages 133-159, September.
    12. McGuirk, Anya M. & Spanos, Aris, 2004. "Revisiting Error Autocorrelation Correction: Common Factor Restrictions And Granger Causality," 2004 Annual meeting, August 1-4, Denver, CO 20176, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    13. Aris Spanos & Niki Papadopoulou, 2013. "A Small Macroeconometric Model for the Cyprus Economy," Working Papers 2013-02, Central Bank of Cyprus.
    14. Helmut Lütkepohl, 2013. "Vector autoregressive models," Chapters, in: Nigar Hashimzade & Michael A. Thornton (ed.), Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Empirical Macroeconomics, chapter 6, pages 139-164, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    15. McGuirk, Anya M. & Spanos, Aris, 2002. "The Linear Regression Model With Autocorrelated Errors: Just Say No To Error Autocorrelation," 2002 Annual meeting, July 28-31, Long Beach, CA 19905, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    16. Aris Spanos, 2022. "Statistical modeling and inference in the era of Data Science and Graphical Causal modeling," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(5), pages 1251-1287, December.
    17. Jeffrey Edwards & Anya McGuirk, 2004. "Reply to Chang and Ram: Statistical Adequacy and the Reliability of Inference," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 1(2), pages 244-259, August.
    18. Francisco Estrada & Víctor Guerrero & Carlos Gay-García & Benjamín Martínez-López, 2013. "A cautionary note on automated statistical downscaling methods for climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 120(1), pages 263-276, September.
    19. Maria Heracleous & Andreas Koutris & Aris Spanos, 2006. "Testing for Structural Breaks and other forms of Non-stationarity: a Misspecification Perspective," Computing in Economics and Finance 2006 493, Society for Computational Economics.
    20. Ignacio Lozano Espitia & Karen Rodríguez, 2009. "Assessing the Macroeconomic Effects of Fiscal," Borradores de Economia 5386, Banco de la Republica.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:econom:v:158:y:2010:i:2:p:204-220. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jeconom .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.