Comments on: Robb on Superfreakonomics http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/robb-on-superfreakonomics.html where orders emerge Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:06:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/robb-on-superfreakonomics.html/comment-page-1#comment-191570 Anonymous Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:21:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7377#comment-191570 Empiricism is very useful. But disentangling the line of causality requires more than raw data. It requires UNDERSTANDING. That means context and, yes, some level of theory against which to test that understanding. Love the analogy of cooking, Russ. Recipe in a book vs. Execution is a brilliant metaphor for the hubris of distance experts vs. the experiential local knowledge of practitioners. Empiricism is very useful. But disentangling the line of causality requires more than raw data. It requires UNDERSTANDING. That means context and, yes, some level of theory against which to test that understanding.

Love the analogy of cooking, Russ. Recipe in a book vs. Execution is a brilliant metaphor for the hubris of distance experts vs. the experiential local knowledge of practitioners.

]]> By: Manfred http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/robb-on-superfreakonomics.html/comment-page-1#comment-191553 Manfred Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:35:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7377#comment-191553 There is also an article by Ariel Rubinstein in the Economists' Voice, Volume 3, Issue 9, Article 7 (year 2006) commenting on Freakonomics. Of course, Ariel Rubinstein is a die-hard game theorist, thus his comment need to be taken with a grain of salt. But still.... There is also an article by Ariel Rubinstein in the Economists’ Voice, Volume 3, Issue 9, Article 7 (year 2006) commenting on Freakonomics.
Of course, Ariel Rubinstein is a die-hard game theorist, thus his comment need to be taken with a grain of salt. But still….

]]> By: Manfred http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/robb-on-superfreakonomics.html/comment-page-1#comment-191552 Manfred Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:30:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7377#comment-191552 The argument that Freakonomics is not good economic/econometric analysis is not new. There is an article in The New Republic, by Noam Scheiber, critcially evaluating Freakonomics. It is here: http://www.tnr.com/article/freaks-and-geeks-how-freakonomics-ruining-the-dismal-science Manfred The argument that Freakonomics is not good economic/econometric analysis is not new. There is an article in The New Republic, by Noam Scheiber, critcially evaluating Freakonomics. It is here:
http://www.tnr.com/article/freaks-and-geeks-how-freakonomics-ruining-the-dismal-science

Manfred

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/robb-on-superfreakonomics.html/comment-page-1#comment-191548 Anonymous Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:13:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7377#comment-191548 Sorry to Mr. Solman. Seems I can't edit my post though. Sorry to Mr. Solman. Seems I can’t edit my post though.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/11/robb-on-superfreakonomics.html/comment-page-1#comment-191546 Anonymous Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:49:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=7377#comment-191546 I've admired the idea behind "Freakonomics" of making more people think economically, but I have also been concerned about their easy use of econometrics to prove a prior opinion held by the researcher. Prior opinion: Unwanted children lead to unloved children lead to criminal behaviour. Then do a regression that appears to prove it and write a paper that makes headlines in all the leading newspapers because it confirms journalists' prior opinions. However, numerous research papers have examined the flaws in that original paper and found no connection. A recent paper from NBER summarizes those findings: "Abortion and Crime: A Review", by Theodore J. Joyce, NBER Working Paper No. 15098, June 2009. I’ve admired the idea behind “Freakonomics” of making more people think economically, but I have also been concerned about their easy use of econometrics to prove a prior opinion held by the researcher. Prior opinion: Unwanted children lead to unloved children lead to criminal behaviour. Then do a regression that appears to prove it and write a paper that makes headlines in all the leading newspapers because it confirms journalists’ prior opinions. However, numerous research papers have examined the flaws in that original paper and found no connection. A recent paper from NBER summarizes those findings:
“Abortion and Crime: A Review”, by Theodore J. Joyce, NBER Working Paper No. 15098, June 2009.

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