Although previous studies on structural equation modeling (SEM) have indicated that the second-order latent growth model (SOLGM) is a more appropriate approach to longitudinal intervention effects, its application still requires researchers to collect at least three-wave data (e.g. randomized pretest, posttest, and follow-up design). However, in some circumstances, researchers can only collect two-wave data for resource limitations. With only two-wave data, the SOLGM can not be identified and researchers often choose alternative SEM models to fit two-wave data. Recent studies show that the two-wave longitudinal common factor model (2W-LCFM) and latent change score model (2W-LCSM) can perform well for comparing latent change between groups. However, there still lacks empirical evidence about how accurately these two-wave models can estimate the group effects of latent change obtained by three-wave SOLGM (3W-SOLGM). The main purpose of this dissertation, therefore, is trying to examine to what extent the fixed effects of the tree-wave SOLGM can be recovered from the parameter estimates of the two-wave LCFM and LCSM given different simulation conditions. Fundamentally, the supplementary study (study 2) using three-wave LCFM was established to help justify the logistics of different model comparisons in our main study (study 1). The data generating model in both studies is 3W-SOLGM and there are in total 5 simulation factors (sample size, group differences in intercept and slope, the covariance between the slope and intercept, size of time-specific residual, change the pattern of time-specific residual). Three main types of evaluation indices were used to assess the quality of estimation (bias/relative bias, standard error, and power/type I error rate). The results in the supplementary study show that the performance of 3W-LCFM and 3W-LCSM are equivalent, which further justifies the different models' comparison in the main study. The point estimates for the fixed effect parameters obtained from the two-wave models are unbiased or identical to the ones from the three-wave model. However, using two-wave models could reduce the estimation precision and statistical power when the time-specific residual variance is large and changing pattern is heteroscedastic (non-constant). Finally, two real datasets were used to illustrate the simulation results. / Doctor of Philosophy / To collect and analyze the longitudinal data is a very important approach to understand the phenomenon of development in the real world. Ideally, researchers who are interested in using a longitudinal framework would prefer collecting data at more than two points in time because it can provide a deeper understanding of the developmental processes. However, in real scenarios, data may only be collected at two-time points. With only two-wave data, the second-order latent growth model (SOLGM) could not be used. The current dissertation compared the performance of two-wave models (longitudinal common factor model and latent change score model) with the three-wave SOLGM in order to better understand how the estimation quality of two-wave models could be comparable to the tree-wave model. The results show that on average, the estimation from two-wave models is identical to the ones from the three-wave model. So in real data analysis with only one sample, the point estimate by two-wave models should be very closed to that of the three-wave model. But this estimation may not be as accurate as it is obtained by the three-wave model when the latent variable has large variability in the first or last time point. This latent variable is more likely to exist as a statelike construct in the real world. Therefore, the current study could provide a reference framework for substantial researchers who could only have access to two-wave data but are still interested in estimating the growth effect that supposed to obtain by three-wave SOLGM.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Why do we observe such dramatic differences in labour productivity across countries in the macro data? This thesis argues that the growth empirics literature oversimplifies the complexity of the production process across countries and neglects data cross-section and time-series properties, leading to bias in the empirical estimates. Chapter 1 presents two general empirical frameworks for cross-country productivity analysis and demonstrates that they encompass the growth empirics literature of the past decades. We introduce our central argument of cross-country heterogeneity in the impact of observables and unobservables on output and develop this against the background of the pertinent time-series and cross-section properties of macro panel data. Chapter 2 uses data from 48 countries to estimate manufacturing production functions. We discuss standard and novel estimators, focusing on their treatment of parameter heterogeneity and data time-series and cross-section properties. We develop the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimator and show its similarity to the Pesaran (2006) Common Correlated Effects (CCE) approach. Our results confirm parameter heterogeneity across countries in the impact of observable inputs on output. We check the robustness of this finding and highlight its implications for empirical measures of TFP. Chapter 3 investigates the heterogeneity of agricultural production technology using data for 128 countries. We develop an extension to the CCE estimators which allows us to suggest that TFP is structured such that countries with similar agro-climatic environment are influenced by the same unobserved factors. This finding offers a possible explanation for the failure of technology-transfer from advanced countries of the temperate 'North' to developing countries of the arid/equatorial 'South'. Our Monte Carlo simulations in Chapter 4 investigate the performance of the AMG, CCE and standard (micro-)panel estimators. Failure to account for cross-section dependence is shown to result in serious distortion of the empirical estimates. We highlight scenarios in which the AMG is biased and offer simple remedies.

臺灣的男女死亡率皆呈現逐年遞減的趨勢，自1993年進入高齡化社會後，預計將會在2018年進入高齡社會；人口不斷老化的結果讓社會上不論人民或是如保險公司等年金提供者皆面臨愈來愈嚴重的長壽風險；目前現有文獻提出了許多方式以解決長壽風險，其中多數的方法皆需使用到對未來死亡率之預估。 本研究為了能夠更準確的預估未來死亡率的趨勢，參考了Lee Carter (1992)所提出之模型以及Li and Lee (2005)、Li (2013)提出之共同改善趨勢效果，提出考慮商品與商品間以及商品與整體人口間共同改善趨勢之死亡率模型；本研究利用臺灣之保險公司壽險及年金業務經驗死亡率和Human Mortality Database之臺灣人口資料對模型進行配適，並以MAE、MAPE、RMSE三項指標比較與Lee Carter模型之優劣。 最後，本研究利用所配適之模型進行預測，模擬自然避險之效果，檢視臺灣保險業進行自然避險的可能效益，並對決策者在於決定是否要進行自然避險方面給出建議。 / Taiwan became an aging society in 1993 and is expected to become an aged society in 2018. The progressive decrease in Taiwan mortality since the 20th century for both genders has made longevity risk a serious problem for both people and annuity provider in Taiwan. So far, the literature has discussed about how to deal with longevity risk and came out with several solutions which can be categorize as “industry self-insurance”, “ mortality projection improvement” and “capital market solutions” , most of them are related to the projection of mortality. In order to provide a more precise projection of future mortality trend, this article designs several models which collaborates Lee Carter Model (1992) and the common improvement trend suggested by Li and Lee (2005). Based on our models, the Taiwan insurance industry experience mortality data and the Taiwan population mortality data, we test the performance of our models and make comparison. Lastly, we use the model we find to project future mortality trend and try to make a simulation of natural hedging strategy in Taiwan. The purpose we do this is to test the performance of natural hedging method and give suggestion for the decision-maker when they are considering whether to execute a natural hedging strategy.