A comparative study of delinquency involvement*

Cette étude vise L'analyse de données sur la délinquance recueillies à Edmonton, Alberta et à Richmond, Californie. La nature et L'ampleur de la délinquance révélée sont évaluées pour les sujets masculins et féminins des deux endroits. A partir d'une théorie qui integre les éléments des théories d'association différentielle et de régulation sociale, les épiphe-nomènes de la délinquance dans les deux villes sont comparés. Les résultats indiquent une similitude dans la nature, L'ampleur et les causes de la délinquance bien que ces aspects ne soient pas identiques dans les deux régions étudiées. The paper analyzes data from delinquency studies carried out in Edmonton, Alberta and in Richmond, California. The nature and extent of self-reported delinquency are examined for males and females in the two studies. Using a theory which represents an integration of differential association and control theories, correlates of delinquency in the two cities are compared. The study concludes that the nature, extent, and causes of delinquency are similar, though not identical, in the two communities studied.     

Economic and environmental concerns as influences on growth attitudes: A research note

Two sets of items from Albrecht et al. (1986) are used to examine small town residents’ attitudes about the environment and the economy. One scale measures a general growth ethic while the other measures attitudes concerning urban growth. Concern over the environment and the economy are assessed with items drawn from Blocker and Eckberg (1989). Results indicate that environmental concerns are a stronger influence on growth attitudes than are economic considerations and that certain sociodemographic variables are weakly associated with this tendency. In the small town population studied, which is in the process of making decisions about growth, environmental concerns play a stronger role in influencing attitudes about growth than do concerns over the economy.     

A note on interdependent happiness

Based on two models of interdependent utilities [Becker, G., 1974. A theory of social interaction, Journal of Political Economy 82, 1064–1093; Fehr, E., Schmidt, K., 1999. A theory of fairness, competition, and cooperation, Quarterly Journal of Economics 114, 817–868] we derive a functional relationship between average happiness and the standard deviation of happiness within a country. This hypothesis is supported by an empirical investigation of 71 countries which shows that the average happiness in these countries depends only on income and on the standard deviation of happiness σ. The latter may be partly based on influences beyond income, for which no data are available. Income has the expected positive influence and σ has the expected negative influence, i.e. large differences in “autonomous” happiness have a dampening influence on “effective” happiness which also takes into account the happiness of others.     

A note on female ejaculation

We developed a 14‐item Attitudes Toward Sexuality Scale (ATSS) to compare the sexual attitudes of early, middle, and late adolescents and their parents. One hundred forty‐one adolescents between the ages of 12 and 20 and their parents completed a questionnaire consisting of the ATSS and demographic information. The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient for the adolescents was .75, and for the parents it was .84. A principal components analysis revealed four major dimensions of the scale: a large General factor, Legality/Morality, Alternative Modes of Sexual Expression, and Individual Rights. The correlation pattern between the ATSS and subscales of the Sex Knowledge and Attitudes Test, as well as with certain demographic variables, supports the construct validity of the ATSS. This is, therefore, a scale which may be used for research in which the sexual attitudes of adults and adolescents of various ages are to be measured and compared.     

A note on images of networks

Visual imagery and visual representations have proven very useful in some of the most important discoveries in the history of science. It is not surprising, therefore, that the earliest students of network phenomena often made use of visual representations (e.g. sociograms) to assist in the analysis, interpretation and illustration of complex relational data: by creating such visual representations, human faculties for visual imagery and pattern recognition could be more fully utilized in the search for structural patterns in sociometric networks. What is somewhat surprising, though, is that the techniques for creating visual representations of relational data have remained virtually unchanged since the study of social networks began: the slow, tedious, pen-and-ink approach of forty years ago is still very much the method of the day.Readily available computer graphics technology, however, introduces potentially powerful possibilities, and some of these are explored. The results of this initial exploration suggest that the time is ripe for forging new tools that will facilitate the analysis of complex relational data, stimulate the development of network theory, and provide new perspectives from which to view previously hidden facets of society.     

A note on continuous social choice

 We discuss continuous social choice functions defined on the set of the equivalence classes induced by profiles of individual preferences corresponding to anonymity. It is shown that we can at best obtain the equivalent result of Chichilnisky’s impossibility theorem when the set of an equivalence classes is endowed with various reasonable topologies. Received: 28 February 1994/Accepted: 22 April 1996     

A note on contestation-based tournament solutions

In tournaments, one alternative contests another if is a “winner” among only alternatives that beat it. This paper examines the consequences and limitations of the contestation relation by considering a procedure in which alternatives that are contested are iteratively eliminated from consideration. In doing so, a new family of tournament solutions are introduced and related to existing refinements of the Banks set. Findings show that iterated removal of contested alternatives a limited device for choosing from tournaments. These results contrast with results regarding the top-set of the contestation relation. Results highlight the role of the top-set operator for choice from tournaments.     

A note on generalized stable sets

A solution concept is introduced that is able to deal with cyclic relations. The concept is a generalization of the Von Neumann-Morgenstern solution concept of stable set and is therefore called the concept of generalized stable set. Its point of departure is the transitive closure of an asymmetric relation. A characterization theorem and an existence theorem are presented.The author would like to thank Thom Bezembinder, Maurice Salles and Harrie de Swart for their useful comments.     

A note on weak ∞-Chichilnisky rules

 There does not exist a weak ∞-Chichilnisky rule as defined in Candeal et al. (1992). Received: 5 November 1992/Accepted: 22 April 1996     

石家大院纪行

一、历史沿革 石家大院位于天津市西青区杨柳青镇,避开市镇的车马喧嚣,在一片深巷之中,这座青砖陶瓦的重重院落显得格外突出.石家大院始建于清末(约1875年),至今已有130年的历史.据说当初石家宅院共有15进院落,占地6000多平方米.现在对外开放的并非当初建造时规模最大的,只是至今保存最完好的一座.     

A note on inferences regarding network subgroups

The evidence presented in Bernard et al. (1980) does not warrant their conclusion. We comment on their lack of concern with the substance of social differentiation in the systems they use as evidence. The substance of social structure is argued to affect the scope, adequacy and power of conclusions drawn from a network analysis and is accordingly a factor to be explicitly considered in justifying those conclusions. With these ideas in mind, our reanaly sis of one system on which good data are available, ostensibly supporting the Bernard et al. conclusion, illustrates how their conclusion regarding network subgroups in that system is unwarranted     

A note on measures of similarity based on centrality

This note presents a measure of similarity between connected nodes in terms of centrality based on Euclidean distances, and compares it to ‘assortative mixing’ [Newman, M.E.J., 2002. Assortative mixing in networks. Physical Review Letters 89, 208701], which is based on Pearson correlation coefficient. This study suggests that the measure based on Euclidean distances may be more appropriate for relatively smaller (N < 500) and denser networks.