Large sample interval estimation for the logarithmic series distribution

It is assumed that a large random sample of fixed size n is drawn from a logarithmic series distribution with parameter $tH and that it is desired to estimate e by means of two-sided confidence interval. Using asymptotic results, charts of confidence intervals are prepared for n = 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000, and confidence coefficients 0.90 and 0.95.     

The Swiss Equal Rights Amendment: A case study

In June, 1981, the Swiss passed a constitutional amendment providing legal equality for men and women. How that could happen in a legal system that appears to be more than most designed to maintain male privilege is the major topic of this case study. The nature of the political system into which the Swiss equal rights amendment was introduced and of the support and opposition to the amendment are examined. The impact of the amendment since its passage is reported. Each major aspect of the Swiss situation is compared with the American experience with the Equal Rights Amendment and the significance of the Swiss case for American social action is delineated.Richard Kerckhoff is Professor of Family Studies and Timothy Leupp is a graduate student in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies. The study reported here was made possible by time and resources provided by Purdue University, School of Consumer and Family Sciences.     

The distinction between affect and cognition

The distinction between affect and cognition was studied in a sample of early breast cancer patients. As assumed by Mckennell (1978) the change experienced led to a level of affect that was lower than the level of cognition and an increased discrepancy between these two components of quality of life within the first year after surgery. Cognition was stable over time, whereas affect improved (p<0.05). The relation between concommitants of disease and treatment and the types of affect-cognition combination were explored.     

Development of a social monitoring system at the local level: An experiment in the Southern Region of the Democratic Republic of Sudan

Subjective indicators of life quality are used frequently in the planning and decision making process. The limitations inherent in the use of subjective indicators often go unnoticed among those most likely to use such data in the context of planned change. We direct attention to a potential source of error in subjective evaluations of community services and facilities. Specifically, we utilize repeated measures to test for response bias that results from placing items in alternative sections of the same survey instrument. Evidence concerning the hypothesized presence of systematic bias was mixed. When overall service evaluation items were embedded within a section devoted exclusively to that service, considerable systematic bias was observed. The findings indicate that the choice of question format depends upon the ultimate use to which the data will be put.     

Demography of disaster: Population estimates after hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Andrew blasted through the southern tip of Florida in August 1992, damaging or destroying tens of thousands of homes and forcing hundreds of thousands of persons to move at least temporarily to different places of residence. The hurricane not only disrupted the lives of many Floridians, but destroyed the statistical basis for producing local population estimates in South Florida as well. These estimates are used for many types of decision-making, from the distribution of state revenue-sharing dollars to choosing sites for fast-food restaurants. This article describes the estimation problems created by the hurricane and how those problems were resolved through the use of existing data sources and the collection of new types of data. It closes with a discussion of several conceptual, methodological and procedural issues that will have to be faced in virtually any attempt to estimate the demographic consequences of natural disasters.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 1994 annual meeting of the Population Association of America, Miami, Florida, USA.