Michael Insler
United States Naval Academy
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Featured researches published by Michael Insler.
Archive | 2013
Michael Insler; Pamela Schmitt; Jake Compton
We examine decision making by a group of college students who have the opportunity to take out a sizable, very low-interest, non-credit dependent loan which, if simply invested in low-risk assets, would effectively yield a free lunch in net interest earnings. We exploit this natural experiment to study the characteristics of those willing and unwilling to take the loan. We characterize the latter as debt averse, and for those who accept the loan, we also consider whether they anticipate repaying it early. In particular, we use simple linear and non-linear binary choice models to explore how these two decisions relate to individual and family demographics as well as socio-economic characteristics, personality traits (as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), cognitive ability (as measured by the Cognitive Reflection Test), and intellectual ability (as measured by SAT scores and grade point average). We find no consistent relationships between debt aversion and intellectual ability or gender. Individuals willing to accept the loan tend to have prior debt, longer planning horizons, come from middle-income families, and may have higher cognitive ability.
Eastern Economic Journal | 2018
Sukanya Basu; Michael Insler
BACKGROUND The healthy immigrant effect has been well-documented in many developed countries. In the United States, Body Mass Index (BMI) convergence of immigrants is cited as a cause for their health deterioration. Unhealthy BMI is a product of imbalances in diet and physical activity. OBJECTIVE In this paper, we determine the relative contributions of diet and exercise to the BMI assimilation of immigrants. We examine the impact of different food groups on weight changes, and we investigate the causes for the dietary changes. METHODS We use data from four waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We investigate the initial gaps in food consumption and physical activity levels, ∗We would like to thank Ronni Pavan, Josh Kinsler, Greg Caetano, and Jose Martinez for their helpful suggestions. We would also like to thank seminar participants at the brown bag seminar at Vassar College, Norface Migration Conference “Migration: Global Development, New Frontiers” and Stockman Conference at the University of Rochester for their valuable comments. †Assistant Professor of Economics, Vassar College. Email: [email protected]. Address: 124 Raymond Ave. Box 22, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604. ‡Corresponding Author: Assistant Professor of Economics, U.S. Naval Academy. Email: [email protected]. Address: 589 McNair Rd., Mail Stop 10D, Annapolis, MD 21402. and the convergence in these variables, for immigrants’ vis-à-vis natives in a linear regression framework. We include a variety of socio-economic controls, and we stratify immigrants into age groups. We also consider heterogeneity in assimilation patterns across income-levels and countries-of-origin. CONCLUSION Upon arrival, immigrants consume fewer fats than natives. Older immigrants increase fat consumption over their U.S. residency. On the other hand, longer-residing immigrants are more physically active. Diet, rather than exercise, has a larger impact on immigrant BMI. Income affects the food choices of poorer immigrants. Country-oforigin differences are also important in determining diets. COMMENTS 1.2 million immigrants are added to the U.S. population annually. Healthcare expenditures could increase if obesity-related diseases plague the burgeoning foreign-born population. Policies that target healthy eating habits of this population could benefit their civic assimilation. JEL classification: I10, I12, I18, J11We explore the potential causes of the unhealthy body mass index (BMI) assimilation of US immigrants to native levels. Diet — measured by fat, carbohydrate, protein, and caloric intake — and exercise have mixed success in explaining immigrants’ BMI convergence. Assimilation differs by age. Middle-aged immigrants exhibit poor behaviors consistent with unhealthy BMI gains. Worse diets may contribute to BMI increases among young immigrants who increase their intake of saturated fats. There are differences in behaviors by income, as poorer immigrants exhibit greater convergence to unhealthy native eating habits. Home country conditions influence dietary assimilation, with heterogeneity across Mexican and non-Mexican immigrants.
Journal of Sports Economics | 2017
Michael Insler; Jimmy Karam
We investigate the influence of intercollegiate athletic participation on grades using data from the U.S. Naval Academy. Athletic participation is an endogenous decision with respect to educational outcomes. To identify a causal effect, we develop an instrument via the Academy’s random assignment of students into peer groups. Instrumental variable (IVs) estimates suggest that sports participation modestly reduces recruited athletes’ grades. This finding has implications beyond college, as we also show that grades—not athletic participation—are most strongly associated with postcollegiate outcomes such as military tenure and promotion rates.
Journal of Human Resources | 2014
Michael Insler
Journal of Socio-economics | 2016
Michael Insler; James Compton; Pamela Schmitt
European Economic Review | 2017
Ryan R. Brady; Michael Insler; Ahmed S. Rahman
Archive | 2013
Michael Insler; Pamela Schmitt; Jake Compton
Archive | 2017
Ryan R. Brady; Michael Insler
B E Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy | 2017
Sukanya Basu; Michael Insler
Archive | 2016
Michael Insler; Bryce McMurrey; Alexander F. McQuoid