Ethical Actions: A Comparison of Individual and Group Recommendations

In order to examine the way ethical decisions are made, we asked ethicists, regulatory officials, and experienced researchers to review a set of scenarios that depict important ethical tensions in research. The method employed was “protocol analysis,” a talk-aloud technique pioneered by cognitive scientists. Each individual was asked to make recommendations for courses of action. Later, we held a focus group of university faculty and staff with either institutional review board experience or research ethics training. They too were asked to recommend actions. The results show there are areas where the two data collection approaches agree, as well as areas of considerable difference. Implications for training in the responsible conduct of research are discussed.     

A European perspective: The Nonprofit Almanac and the development of European profiles

Conclusion The Independent Sector approach to measuring the US non-profit sector, as summarised inThe Almanac, provides a valuable and instructive model for European and other attempts to describe and measure the sector. The aim of mappers in those other countries should not be to replicateThe Almanac, but to imitate its broad approach, using it to stimulate and encourage statistical efforts elsewhere. Although the time for whole-Europe mappings has not yet come — in fact, it is very many years away — individual European countries could and should make substantial progress. As I have argued, progress will generally be greatest when an imaginative blend of five main approaches is employed. This is exemplified by the Independent Sector's work, and would-be mimics should endeavour to match both this blending and the energy and zest with which the task has been tackled.Professor of the Economics of Social Care and Deputy Director of the Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent at Canterbury and Co-editor,Voluntas.I would like to acknowledge a number of European colleagues whose comments assisted my preparation of this paper, in particular Edith Archambault, Paulo Barbetta, Andrea Bassi, Rudolph Bauer, Andrew Crook, Jim Jackson, Jeremy Kendall, Éva Kuti, Susan Saxon-Harrold, Wolfgang Seibel, Justin Davis Smith and Tymen van den Ploeg. This paper is lodged in the Personal Social Services Research Unit as Discussion Paper 873.     

A Factor Analytic Comparison of Ecological and Individual Correlations: Some Methodological Implications

Comparisons of factor analytic results based on a matrix of total (individual) correlations and three matrices of between-groups (ecological) correlations revealed fundamental differences in factor patterns when the unit of analysis shifted from individuals to aggregates. The major difference involved the marked tendency for a highly individualistic General Ability Factor derived from the matrix of total correlations to become more and more sociological in content as individuals were aggregated. Results are discussed in terms of their bearing on the problem of determining the "appropriateness" of a given unit of analysis, individuals vs. aggregates, for certain levels of inquiry, i.e., psychological vs. sociological. It is concluded that whether the researcher should heed the traditional warning about the use of aggregate data relationships as a basis for making inferences concerning individuals ought to depend in part on whether his interest is in psychological or sociological propositions about indivduals.     

Risky Experiences for Children Online: Charting European Research on Children and the Internet

Children’s online experience, especially the risks to which they might be exposed, is an increasingly important policy and research concern. This article reports an analysis of the amount, nature and range of empirical research concerning children’s online experiences across 18 European countries. Research teams in each country have collaborated, as part of the ‘EU Kids Online’ network, to identify, code and compare studies. In all, 235 studies were identified and coded in a publicly accessible data repository. All countries had some available evidence regarding children’s online risky experiences, with strengths mainly in relation to research into access and use; several countries were found to have a richer evidence base encompassing research into online learning, literacy, participation, parental mediation and so forth. Regarding risks, more research focused on potentially harmful content than on risky forms of contact. Key research gaps included research on younger children, into mobile online platforms, and into certain types of online risk. The article concludes by observing the challenges facing researchers in this field, including the time‐sensitivity of research that quickly dates, the difficulty of tailoring research to meet the needs of a demanding policy agenda, the complexity of designing projects that recognise the contextual and contingent factors that mediate children’s online activities, and the ethical considerations that apply when asking children about private, transgressive or upsetting experiences.     

基于物联网的智慧城市建设问题研究

物联网是发展智慧城市的新工具,在城市市政管理、农业园林、医疗保健、智能楼宇、智能交通等方面将有广阔的应用前景,但目前在政策支持、标准化建设、信息化建设、应用模式和技术创新、人才培养等方面还存在不足,阻碍了物联网在建设智慧城市中的应用和推广。     

The Effects of Prevailing Wage Laws: A Comparison of Individual Workers'' Wages Earned on and off Prevailing Wage Construction Projects

I evaluate the effects of prevailing wage laws using a unique data set that shows the wages paid to workers on prevailing wage projects and the wages paid to the same workers during the same time period for work on projects not covered by prevailing wage regulations. The wage comparison shows that workers are generally paid more for work on prevailing wage projects than they are for work on non-prevailing wage projects. Thus, prevailing wage laws likely do increase the cost of public construction. In addition, to the extent that the quality of construction is improved, prevailing wage laws appear to be an inefficient mechanism by which to achieve additional quality, as the regulations often result in workers being paid more than they earn in the private market.     

The Emotional Contagion Scale: A Measure of Individual Differences

Three studies (N = 1988) describe the development and validation of the Emotional Contagion (EC) Scale, a 15-item unidimensional measure of susceptibility to others' emotions resulting from afferent feedback generated by mimicry. Study 1 assesses the EC Scale's reliability (Cronbach's = .90). Study 2 finds susceptibility (a) positively related to reactivity, emotionality, sensitivity to others, social functioning, self-esteem, and more associated with emotional than cognitive modes of empathy, (b) negatively related to alienation, self-assertiveness, and emotional stability and, (c) unrelated to masculinity and approval motivation. Study 3, an experiment, finds that EC Scale scores reliably predict biases in participants' evaluations and are correlated with a measure of responsiveness to afferent feedback and self-reports of emotional experience following exposure to emotional expressions.     

Veiled EGM Jackpots: The Effects of Hidden and Mystery Jackpots on Gambling Intensity

Understanding the impact of EGM Jackpots on gambling intensity may allow targeted strategies to be implemented that facilitate harm minimisation by acting to reduce losses of gamblers who play frequently, while maintaining the enjoyment and excitement of potential jackpots. The current study investigated the influences of Hidden and Mystery Jackpots on EGM gambling intensity. In a Hidden Jackpot, the prize value is not shown to the player, although the existence of a jackpot prize is advertised. In a Mystery Jackpot, the jackpot triggering state of the machine is unknown to players. One hundred and seven volunteers (males = 49, females = 58) played a laptop-simulated EGM with a starting $20 real-money stake and a chance to win a Jackpot ($500). Participants played for either a Hidden or Known Jackpot Value, with either a Mystery or Known winning symbol combination in a crossed design. Lastly, a control condition with no jackpot was included. Gambling intensity (speed of bets, persistence) was greater when the Jackpot value was unknown, especially when a winning-symbol combination suggested that a win was possible. While there is no evidence in the present investigation to suggest that Hidden or Mystery jackpots contribute to greater player enjoyment, there is some evidence to suggest a marginal positive contribution of hidden jackpots to risky playing behaviour.     

Elderly Volunteering and Well-Being: A Cross-European Comparison Based on SHARE Data

This paper, based on Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) data, analyzes the relation between volunteering and well-being among 30,023 Europeans aged 50 and above in 12 countries. There is an overall positive correlation between volunteering and perceived health, life satisfaction, and self-life expectancy and a negative correlation to depression. However, in some countries the correlation is much stronger than in others.     

The Pursuit of Postsecondary Education: A Comparison of First Nations,African, Asian,and European Canadian Youth*

Utilisant l'Enquête auprès des jeunes en transition (EJET), sondage longitudinal nationalement représentatif, l'auteur examine l'argument voulant que les résultats éducationnels inférieurs de diverses minorités visibles et d'immigrants seraient attribués à leurs désavantages socioéconomiques, tandis que les résultats supérieurs des autres minorités visibles auraient pour cause leur soutien culturel. Les analyses rapportent des inégalités non négligeables dans le parcours pédagogique des Premières nations, des minorités visibles et des immigrants. Cependant, ni leur emplacement structurel ni leurs attributs culturels (ni les deux ensemble) n'expliquent entièrement les différences de leur parcours pédagogique ni ne peuvent être réduits à un simple modèle dans lequel les désavantages structurels détermineraient les résultats inférieurs et les facteurs culturels les supérieurs. Using the nationally representative longitudinal Youth in Transition Survey, this paper examines the argument that inferior educational outcomes of various visible minorities and immigrants can be attributed to their socio‐economic disadvantages, while superior outcomes of other visible minorities is due to their cultural supports. The analyses document sizeable inequalities in educational pathways of First Nations, visible minorities, and immigrants. However, neither structural location nor cultural attributes (nor both in conjunction) totally account for differences in their educational pathways nor can they be reduced to a simple pattern whereby structural disadvantages account for inferior pathways and cultural factors for superior ones.     

Integrating Individual Differences in Career Assessment: The Atlas Model of Individual Differences and the Strong Ring

Career assessment methods often include measures of individual differences constructs, such as interests, personality, abilities, and values. Although many researchers have recently called for the development of integrated models, career counseling professionals have long faced the challenge of integrating this information into their practice. The authors examine the use of integrated models to enhance the career counseling process, including Armstrong, Day, McVay, and Rounds's (2008) RIASEC‐based Atlas Model of Individual Differences (using Holland's 1997, typology of 6 interest types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional [RIASEC]) and Armstrong, Smith, Donnay, and Rounds's (2004) basic interests‐based Strong Ring. These models provide a structured framework for presenting clients with assessment feedback that emphasizes connections between interests, personality, and abilities.     

Success on European Labor Markets: A Cross‐national Comparison of Attainment between Immigrant and Majority Populations1

Typical labor market outcomes vary considerably between majority and migrant populations. Drawing on scholarship from across the social sciences, we assess competing micro‐ and macro‐level explanations of differential occupational attainment among immigrant groups across 28 countries. The analyses of occupational attainment are run separately for first‐ and second‐generation migrants as well as children of mixed marriage and take into account their wider social and cultural background. Results from four rounds of the European Social Survey show that people with a migration background do not necessarily achieve a lower labor market success than the majority. However, human capital, social mobility, and cultural background explain these outcomes to different degrees, suggesting tailored pathways to labor market success for each group of migrants. We also find that occupational attainment varies considerably across countries, although this is hardly attributable to immigration policies. These and other findings are discussed in the light of previous studies on immigrant incorporation.     

网络影响下的青少年生活方式研究

伴随网络技术的发展,互联网已全面渗透到青少年的日常生活中,革新青少年的生活方式,网络消费、网络交往、网络闲暇娱乐、网络政治参与成为青少年生活方式的新时尚和新主流。新型的生活方式给青少年带来全新的生活体验;同时给青少年行为带来异化等问题。社会需要加强虚拟网络社会管理,引导青少年正确利用网络平台,选择健康、合理的生活方式。     

The Use of Internet Chat Rooms to Meet Sexual Partners: A Comparison of Non-Heterosexually Identified Men with Heterosexually Identified Men and Women

ABSTRACT. Objectives: Prior work suggests that many individuals use the Internet to meet romantic or sexual partners. Our intent was to explore perceptions and experiences with meeting people online. Methods: In 2008, the authors conducted U.S.-based online interviews with 65 predominantly White, self-identified heterosexual men and women and gay/bisexual men (Mean age = 30.8 years). Results: Reasons for meeting people online, desired partner characteristics, and the process of connecting for sex paralleled those observed in face-to-face contexts. People used Internet chat rooms to identify more partners and specific partner characteristics. “Background checks” of online partners, though often believed to be inaccurate, increased familiarity and trust leading to reduced condom use. Participants said online condom use negotiation was easier but usually occurred in face-to-face contexts. Conclusions: The fundamental processes of meeting partners online are similar in many ways to meeting partners face-to-face; however, the Internet facilitates rapid access to relatively large numbers of potential partners.     

Substance Use Among College Athletes: A Comparison Based on Sport/Team Affiliation

Objective: Prior research shows that college athletes have higher rates of substance use, especially alcohol, than do college students who are not involved in athletics. To augment the literature, the author sought to determine which sports/teams are at the greatest risk for substance use. Participants: The author used data from the 1999 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study, a national survey of college and university students in the United States. Methods: A series of chi-square and logistic regression models examined variation in substance use among college athletes on the basis of sport/team affiliation. Results: Findings indicated that male hockey and female soccer athletes were the most likely to report substance use and that male basketball and cross-country/track athletes reported lower levels of substance use. Conclusion: There is variation in substance use on the basis of sport/team affiliation, and future researchers should examine why certain groups of athletes have higher rates of substance use.     

Are Businesses Treated Differently? A Comparison of the Individual Victim and the Corporate Victim in the Criminal Courtroom*

Drawing on a number of theories, this paper explores both why and how the capacity for collective action influences deviance processing decisions. Specifically, data for a sample of male and female defendants convicted of both theft and forgery offenses are examined to estimate the effects on criminal processing decisions of (1) the organizational, as opposed to the individual, victim, (2) the organization of individual offenders, as indicated by the presence of co-defendants, and (3) the respective intimacy in the victim-offender relationship on both the organizational and the individual level. While organization on the part of the criminal offenders appears to have no effect on the dispositional process, the presence of an organizational victim ensures longer periods of probationary supervision for the respective offender. Moreover, this relationship remains regardless of whether the defendant was involved with the organization he victimized. Accordingly, this study suggests both that businesses are in fact treated differently from individuals in the criminal courtroom and that the expansion of our analysis of victim attributes in the study of deviance processing decisions is long overdue.     

网络健康信息的“使用”与“恐慌”——基于疑病者疾病叙事的文本分析

虽然疑病症并非网络时代所独有,但网络传播的种种特性恰好拨动了健康焦虑者的恐惧之弦,催生网络疑病症的发生,其中青年人口患此症者越来越多。对疑病者的叙事进行理论化的文本分析出现,网络健康信息会造成健康焦虑,这种影响建立在个体焦虑性格的基础上。网络健康信息与其他渠道的健康传播一道成为引起健康焦虑的诱因,且恐慌会随着网络搜病愈演愈烈。究其原因,网络健康信息的唾手可得、意料之外的健康信息、由于缺乏把关而普遍存在的错误信息以及疑病者的选择性接受都是滋生疑病的土壤。从这个角度讲,使用网络健康信息除了满足之外还可能产生恐慌,网络健康传播绝非一条坦途。     

Fulfilling the dialogic promise: A ten-year reflective survey on dialogic Internet principles

A decade ago, using the dialogic theory of public relations as the theoretical framework, Kent and Taylor [Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (1998). Building a dialogic relationship through the World Wide Web. Public Relations Review, 24, 321–340; Kent, M. L., & Taylor, M. (2002). Toward a dialogic theory of public relations. Public Relations Review, 28, 21–37] provided a strategic framework to facilitate relationships with publics though the World Wide Web. Based on a review of research exploring Web-based public relations practices drawing on Kent and Taylor's theoretical framework, this essay offers a ten-year reflective survey on past, current, and future directions of Kent and Taylor's Internet principles, as they relate to the dialogic theory of public relations.