# Testing “trends over time” of dummy variables

Let us say this is an output of a model I ran in Stata, where int_retis a continuous variable and time1-time17 are time dummy variables. Reference is time0. I notice that the coefficients are significant at alpha=0.05 up til time 5 after which it stops being significant. I also notice that the coefficients for time decrease in magnitude from time1 to time5.

I am wondering if it is allowable for me to test if there was a "decreasing trend" between time1 and time 5 using the test command in Stata.

Example: test time1=time2=time3=time4=time5=0 or

  test time6=time7=time8=time9=time10=time11=time2=time13=0


I know that you have to enter all the dummy variables (except reference) in a model, but can you test the significance just a subset of the dummy variables (meaning, NOT all dummy variables) to determine "trend?"

Thanks

         |             Linearized
int_ret |      Coef.   Std. Err.      t    P>|t|     [95% Conf. Interval]
time1 |   3.803034   1.569459     3.24   0.001     1.690201    8.557009
time2 |   2.983938   1.145295     2.85   0.005     1.403566    6.343762
time3 |   2.963121   1.412266     2.28   0.023      1.16145    7.559592
time4 |   2.709894   1.137635     2.37   0.018     1.187634    6.183323
time5 |   2.319515    1.00564     1.94   0.053     .9894511    5.437508
time6 |   3.240125   2.107322     1.81   0.071     .9026434    11.63074
time7 |   1.474064   .6102438     0.94   0.349     .6534528    3.325207
time8 |   1.348993   .6327848     0.64   0.524     .5366498    3.391004
time9 |   1.211208   .4933164     0.47   0.638     .5440385    2.696546
time10 |   .7559254   .4048442    -0.52   0.602     .2638907    2.165379
time11 |   2.224805   1.034081     1.72   0.086     .8925419    5.545686
time12 |   1.676299   .6908775     1.25   0.211     .7457992    3.767742
time13 |   1.233598   .6585384     0.39   0.694     .4321069    3.521729


• OK, I think I get what you are saying, so pls correct me if I am wrong... First, generate a variable TIMETREND where TIMETREND=1 for time0, TIMETREND=2 for time1, ...,TIMETREND=14 for time13 (TIMETREND goes from 1 to 14 b/c there are 14 time points) then, regress int_ret TIMETREND if (time>=0 &time<=5) The coefficient and sign on TIMETREND will tell me if there was significant decreasing trends b/w time 0 & time 5. Did I read your response correctly? Thanks again – Marquis de Carabas Feb 15 '14 at 3:17