Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/90720 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
Memorandum No. 17/2012
Publisher: 
University of Oslo, Department of Economics, Oslo
Abstract: 
This paper discusses how specification of probabilistic models for multistate duration data generated by individual choices should be justified on a priori theoretical grounds. Preferences are assumed represented by random utilities, where utilities are viewed as random also to the agent himself. First, the paper proposes a characterization of exogenous preferences, (that is, in the special case with no state dependence effects). The main assumption asserts that when preferences are exogenous the current and future indirect utilities are uncorrelated with current and past choices, given unobservables that are perfectly known to the agent. It is demonstrated that under rather weak and general regularity conditions this characterization yields an explicit structure of the utility function as a so-called Extremal stochastic process. Furthermore, from this utility representation it follows that the choice process is a Markov Chain (in continuous- or discrete time), with a particular functional form of the transition probabilities, as explicit functions of the parameters of the utility function and choice set. Subsequently, we show how the model can be extended to allow for structural state dependence effects, and how such state dependence effects can be identified. Moreover, it is discussed how a version of Chamberlain's conditional estimation method applies in the presence of fixed effects. Finally, we discuss two examples of applications.
Subjects: 
Duration models
Random utility models
Habit persistence
True state dependence
Extremal process
Markov chain
JEL: 
C23
C25
C41
C51
D01
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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