Uncertainty and framing in a valuation task

Many stated preference studies report framing effects in responses to valuation questions. Framing in stated preference studies occurs when respondents use irrelevant information contained in the question to help them value the good. This may occur because respondents are uncertain or do not hold well-formed preferences for the good in question. We investigate if respondent certainty explains framing effects in a contingent valuation study, using data from a double bounded dichotomous elicitation format and a follow-up certainty question. We investigate if respondent certainty influences anchoring and the shift effect. We find evidence that the anchoring effect is stronger for respondents who are less certain about their response to the contingent valuation question compared to respondents who are very certain. However, the shift effect is significant and negative only for respondents who are very certain. Our results indicate that certain respondents are more consistent with the predictions of rational behaviour than uncertain respondents.     

HPV vaccine acceptance among a sample of Southern men who have sex with men: A comparison of younger and older men

Objectives: Do short, online educational messages about the human papillomavirus (HPV) influence younger and older men who have sex with men (MSM) differently? Second, what are the HPV knowledge levels and risk perceptions of Southern MSM living outside of major metropolitan areas? Methods: This study draws on participants who completed an anonymous online survey asking about their knowledge, risk assessment, and vaccine acceptance regarding HPV. Results: Knowledge about HPV was low among the MSM in this study. After reading a one-page information intervention, vaccine acceptability increased by a statistically significant amount among both a Younger and Older cohort but risk perception only increased among the younger respondents. Single men regardless of age cohort reported sharper increases in perceived risk after the intervention, but relationship status did not produce significant differences in vaccine acceptability. Conclusion: Online, brief interventions may be effective means of increasing motivation to vaccinate among Southern MSM.     

DUBIOUS AND DUBIOUSER: CONTINGENT VALUATION AND THE TIME OF DAY

We collect contingent valuation data from 524 student survey respondents over a 3‐day, 72‐hour period. Data analysis of a hypothetical campus referendum focuses on time‐of‐day effects on willingness to pay for a renewable energy project. We find that subjects responding to the survey during the night‐time hours (i.e., between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.) do not display the law of demand, offering theoretically invalid responses to questions with important policy implications. Results from this research may have serious implications for the contingent valuation method (CVM). In short, just like your father said, nothing good happens after midnight when using the CVM. (JEL Q51)     

Obesity and Food Choices Among Faculty and Staff at a Large Urban University

Abstract

Objective: In order to address increasing health care costs associated with obesity, this study sought to determine prevalence of overweight and obesity and examine eating behaviors, food choices, health beliefs, and attitudes of university employees. Participants and Methods: An online survey was distributed to > 3,800 faculty and staff at a large public metropolitan university in Winter 2008. Results: Almost half (48%) of 806 respondents were classified as overweight or obese. Compared to those with normal weights, overweight and obese respondents consumed fewer fruits and vegetables (p < .05), were less confident in making healthful food choices (p < .001), and were more influenced by food choices available in on-campus dining facilities (p < .05). Conclusions: Obesity among university employees warrants attention. Because these employees have less self-efficacy and consume less healthful diets than their normal weight colleagues, universities need to improve on-campus access to healthful foods.     

Financial Responsibility for the Family: The Case of Southeast Asian Refugees in Canada

Although respondents (n = 647) came from collectivist societies (Vietnam and Laos) where they were expected to provide for the family, they have been living in a setting (Canada) where individualism is emphasized and public sources of assistance are available. The effect of this transition on their beliefs and behaviors regarding financial responsibility for family was assessed. With the exception of new situations (government assistance for the elderly or poor, and money sent to relatives in the home country), respondents endorsed traditional beliefs. Lower English ability and favorable views toward multiculturalism were associated with traditional views. They relied on non-family as well as family for financial assistance. Ethnic differences, reflective of their resettlement experiences, were evident.     

Vietnam as a class war: Myth or reality?

This article reports an extension of the analyses of the fatalities in the Vietnam War presented by Barnett, Stanley, and Shore (1992) as printed in the September‐October 1992 Operations Research. The additional analyses involved an examination of results by Barnett et al. in numeric as well as percentage form and a consideration of how the revised analyses generalize to the population of all American fatalities in Vietnam. These analyses yielded a different conclusion about the role of economic class in the fatalities in the Vietnam War than those drawn by Barnett et al. They suggested that the term class war was not supported by their data analyses. Our analyses indicate that their conclusion is incorrect. The lower class sacrificed considerably more lives than the upper class.     

MITIGATING HYPOTHETICAL BIAS IN STATED PREFERENCE DATA: EVIDENCE FROM SPORTS TOURISM

One of the major criticisms of stated preference data is hypothetical bias. Using a unique dataset of both stated and actual behavior, we test for hypothetical bias of stated preference survey responses. We consider whether respondents tend to overstate their participatory sporting event behavior ex ante when compared to their actual behavior at different registration fees. We find that stated behavior accurately predicts actual behavior at a middle level of respondent certainty, overpredicts actual behavior at a lower level of certainty, and underpredicts behavior at a higher level of certainty. This result suggests that respondent uncertainty corrections can be used to mitigate hypothetical bias and stated preference data can be used to better understand actual behavior in situations where no data exist. (JEL L83, Q51, Z2)     

Measuring Intergenerational Obligations

Researchers have defined intergenerational obligations in diverse ways, and they have used many labels and ways of measuring intergenerational obligations. Using vignettes, we compared responses to questions about what family members should do when another family member needed assistance (normative obligations) with responses to questions about what respondents would do if they were in the situation in the vignette (felt responsibilities). Felt and normative obligations were similar. When there were disagreements, respondents indicated they would help more than they thought the character in the vignette should. The results point to the need for researchers to clearly define their terms, and they must carefully select operational definitions that match the conceptual definitions used when studying obligations about intergenerational assistance.     

Hybrid diaspora and identity-laundering: a study of the return overseas Chinese Vietnamese in Vietnam 1

Among the overseas Vietnamese around the world, many are Chinese Vietnamese. They fled from Vietnam for different political and economic reasons during the 1970s and the 1980s. Many of them have returned to Vietnam since the 1990s to work, invest or retire. What is interesting about these returned Chinese Vietnamese migrants is the fact that when they left Vietnam they were called by the Vietnamese the Hoa (華, Chinese) or Hoa ki?u (華僑, overseas Chinese) by the Vietnamese. This identity was actually one of the reasons for their escape. When they returned, they were lumped together with all other returnees into the category of Vi?t ki?u (越僑, overseas Vietnamese) and enjoyed the special rights offered by the Vi?t ki?u policy of the Vietnamese government, which was aimed at boosting the national economy. Although their ‘Chinese’ identity had once made them to risk their lives by sailing out on the roaring sea, their ‘Vietnamese’ identity brought them back to Vietnam at other turning points in their lives. The shifting identity of these Hoa ki?u-turned-Vi?t ki?u has produced an interesting migration story and an intriguing category of ‘hybrid diaspora.’     

THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL LITERACY IN DETERMINING RETIREMENT PLANS

Workers nearing retirement face many important, and often irreversible, choices. We collected detailed demographic and financial literacy data on over 1,500 workers nearing retirement at three large companies to assess how individuals are planning for retirement. Many respondents display limited knowledge and understanding of public and company‐provided retirement benefits. Controlling for basic demographics and wealth, we find that misconceptions about eligibility ages and plan generosity influence workers' expected age of retirement. Although retirement‐related decisions will affect workers' well‐being for the remainder of their lifetimes, many do not possess enough basic financial knowledge to confidently make optimal choices. (JEL J26, J320, J240)     

How social workers reflect in action and when and why they don’t: the possibilities and limits to reflective practice in social work

The need for professionals to use reflection to learn about and develop their practice is now a universally stated goal. In social work however there has been little research into whether and how reflection in action actually occurs and this paper explores the possibilities and limits to reflective practice by drawing on research that observed encounters between social workers and children and families as the work was being conducted in real time. The findings show that practitioners often do reflect in action by elevating their minds above the interactions they are having so that they can think critically about and adjust what they are doing. But there are times when reflection is either limited or non-existent because practitioners defend themselves against the sensory and emotional impact of the work and the high anxiety they are experiencing. Drawing on psychoanalysis and social theories of the body and senses, the paper argues for a revision of the concept of reflective practice to take account of how the self is defended. The limits to reflection must be fully recognised while seeking ways to develop the capacity of practitioners to think clearly and critically so that vital insights about service users and the helping process can occur.     

Do the Constructs of the FACES IV Change Based on Definitions of “Family?” A Measurement Invariance Test

The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES) IV does not provide instructions about which family members respondents should think about while answering questions. This study examined which family members respondents thought about while completing the FACES IV, and if this changed measurement invariance and population heterogeneity of the measure. Using a sample of n = 511 individuals, a latent class analysis showed three distinct classes: Nuclear Family, Family of Origin, and All of the Above. The FACES IV demonstrated measurement invariance across classes on the majority of subscales; however, population heterogeneity tests suggested that the means and variances of the subscales varied across classes. The findings suggest further examination of how the measure functions with unique family constellations is warranted.     

Choice-Experimente und die Messung von Handlungsentscheidungen in der Soziologie

In survey-based choice experiments respondents choose from various alternative options (for actions) the most preferable one. By systematically varying attributes of the options it is possible to determine their influence on the stated choices. This enables a more direct testing of causal relations than it is possible with ??usual?? survey data. In contrast to the similar design of factorial surveys the method corresponds better with action and decision theories and a high external validity is already shown. In the paper on hand, choice experiments are introduced in their main features (theoretical foundation, design, data collection and analysis) and discussed in comparison to factorial surveys. The aim is to deliver practical tips and thereby motivate increased applications in sociology.     

Social work research as a practice of transparency

Social work research is inherently normative and as such the assumptions about social problems in social work research should be open to scrutiny and contestation. But although researchers often face tussles and huge contradictions, they rarely articulate them. In this article, we report on a small research project in which a collective of social work researchers in Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium) tried to think critically through some of the questions and complexities they were confronted with in social work research, more specifically in research on poverty. Our research aim implied that we tried to discuss the choices that were made during a diversity of research projects, including making explicit the grounds on which this happened. We learned that the choices made, although they seem to be very obvious ones, often remained implicit during the different research processes. We conclude that social work research requires that researchers attempt to realize a practice of transparency. The pursuit of such a practice of transparency refers to the importance of the creation of reflexive space in research communities to collectively embrace and discuss the complexities of social work research.     

Voting and the Scottish referendum: perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities and their family and paid carers

Voting is a human right for every citizen yet many people with intellectual disabilities do not vote or have little support to exercise their right to vote. This article explores views on the wider aspects of voting against the backdrop of the Scottish referendum using focus groups involving people with intellectual disabilities (n = 12), family carers (n = 7) and paid carers (n = 5). Findings revealed that people with intellectual disabilities had similar concerns to the general population about the referendum. Regarding voting, all groups identified the need to discuss issues and for practical support and accessible information to ensure informed choices were made when voting.     

Valuation of Consumers’ Personal Information: A South Korean Example

The purpose of this study was to identify the appropriate monetary value of personal information from a consumer’s perspective. To this end, Korean nationals above the age of 16 living in Seoul and the greater metropolitan region responded to an online survey. Quota sampling was used with regard to gender, and the data pool consisted of 985 samples. Using the contingent valuation method (CVM), the authors elicited the amount of money respondents were willing to accept as being equivalent to the value of their personal information, with the resulting mean and median being US1,500 and US1,500 and US500, respectively. Via a nested probit model analysis, the existence of a relative minority, which placed a significantly lower value on their personal information, was found.     

Parents' Partnership Decision Making After Divorce or Widowhood: The Role of (Step)Children

Using data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Surveys, this study investigated divorced and widowed parents' (N = 350) decision making about living arrangements after repartnering: Twenty‐eight percent lived apart together (LAT) and others lived together (remarried or cohabiting). The focus was on determinants of LAT: Women, older respondents, residents of larger cities, and parents of 2 or more children are more apt to LAT. On the basis of additional qualitative interviews with LAT respondents (n = 25), the reasons for LAT were investigated. Data showed that many children are involved in pure boundary work in an effort to guarantee the continuation of their family. Other (step)children use the sabotage or refusal types of boundary work, not accepting the new partner or excluding a parent from contact, especially with grandchildren. Many of these efforts are successful. To preserve the ties with their children, parents often adapt their decision making about the living arrangements with a new partner accordingly.     

Evaluation of targeted human papillomavirus vaccination education among undergraduate college students

Abstract

Objective: To design and evaluate pharmacy student-led educational sessions to improve health beliefs about the HPV vaccine in college-aged students. Participants: Students aged 18–26 attending a large, urban university, including 545 respondents to a December 2014 needs assessment survey about HPV-related health beliefs, 131 students participating in educational sessions during 2015–2016 (intervention group), and 369 undergraduate respondents completing the needs assessment survey (control group). Methods: A needs assessment survey was conducted to inform design and implementation of pharmacy student-led educational sessions. A similar survey was administered to students after attending educational sessions. Health beliefs were compared for the intervention versus control group. Results: The intervention group was less likely to report high perceived barriers to HPV vaccination and more likely to report high perceived benefits and intention to vaccinate (if previously unvaccinated). Conclusions: Pharmacy student-led, health belief-based educational sessions were associated with improved health beliefs about HPV vaccination.     

Responses of US college and university student health services to the 2004 influenza vaccine shortage

The United States experienced a shortage of influenza vaccine for the 2004--2005 influenza season. The authors surveyed college health programs to determine whether they had targeted vaccine to priority groups and knew how to reallocate remaining vaccine. They used an electronic message to distribute a Web-based survey to the members of 3 college-affiliated organizations--the Association of American Colleges and Universities, American Association of Community Colleges, American College Health Association--and to subscribers of the Student Health Service Listserv. They received 434 completed surveys. Sixty percent (259) of the respondents stated they had received vaccine and planned to vaccinate their high-risk students, staff, and faculty members; 77% (198) planned to reallocate leftover vaccine. Given the potential for future disruptions of the influenza vaccine supply, the authors recommend that college health programs establish policies to identify members of their high-risk population and also consider providing the live attenuated influenza virus vaccine.     

‘Vietnam is my country land,China is my hometown’: Chinese communities in transition in the south of Vietnam

Studies of Southeast Asian Chinese are voluminous; yet, those about the Chinese in Vietnam are comparatively few. This article provides an updated account of the Chinese Vietnamese with focuses on the Chinese associations in the South of Vietnam and the shifting Chinese identity. Many have discussed the Chinese Vietnamese who fled Vietnam in the 1970s and 1980s, however, little is known about the plights of the Chinese inside Vietnam during those decades. This article elaborates on their situations in the post-unification decade in Ho Chi Minh City and the subsequent changes after the doi moi reforms in the 1990s. It will show how a liberalized economy and accommodative ethnic policies have resulted in a more proactive relationship between the Chinese minority and the Vietnamese society, which consequentially led to changes in the relationship between the Chinese in Vietnam and China.