An optimal policy is derived for a sequential family size decision making problem. It is shown that households will follow a stopping rule, replacing dead children until an optimal number of living children is reached. The behavioural equation derived from the optimal policy is then used to explain retrospective household data collected in Bangladesh in 1977–1978. This data provides some support for the underlying hypothesis.

Journal Article The Econometrics of Growth and Underdevelopment: A Test of the Dual Hypotheses Get access James McIntosh James McIntosh University of Essex Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Review of Economic Studies, Volume 45, Issue 2, June 1978, Pages 285–298, https://doi.org/10.2307/2297344 Published: 01 June 1978 Article history Received: 01 February 1976 Accepted: 01 May 1977 Published: 01 June 1978

Journal Article Growth and Dualism in Less Developed Countries Get access James McIntosh James McIntosh University of Essex Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Review of Economic Studies, Volume 42, Issue 3, July 1975, Pages 421–433, https://doi.org/10.2307/2296855 Published: 01 July 1975

James McIntosh, Fabio Schiantarelli, Jon Breslaw, William Low, Price and Output Adjustment in a Model with Inventories: Econometric Evidence from Categorical Survey Data, The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 75, No. 4 (Nov., 1993), pp. 657-663