THE DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECT OF STATE ALCOHOL PROHIBITIONS AT THE TURN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

We examine the quasi‐randomization of alcohol consumption created by state‐level alcohol prohibition laws passed in the United States in the early part of the twentieth century. Using a large dataset of World War II enlistees, we exploit the differential timing of these laws to examine their effects on adult educational attainment, obesity, and height. We find statistically significant effects for education and obesity that do not appear to be the result of pre‐existing trends. Our findings add to the growing body of economic studies that examine the long‐run impacts of in utero and childhood environmental conditions. (JEL I18, D10, N41, N42)     

College majors and social mobility

To further our understanding of social mobility in the United States, this study examines the role of major field of study during college, and the relationships between origin characteristics and education attainment. Data, collected in 2001, consisted of information on the college and labor market experiences of 4435 alumni from 30 colleges, as well as matched ACT data on alumni background and pre-college characteristics from three cohorts of college graduates up to 25 years after college. Results indicate that both placement on and movement along the social ladder are affected by college major, and the extent to which status is awarded based on merit relative to inherited economic resources is partially dependent upon major.     

Survival,abundance, and capture rate of eastern cottontail rabbits in an urban park

Eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) are common, conspicuous denizens of urban environments. They are associated with human-wildlife conflict due to vegetation damage. Prior to this study, population dynamics of this species in urban environments remained largely uncharacterized. For three consecutive winters, we used classic field ecology methods (mark-recapture and mark–resight surveys) to estimate demographic parameters of rabbits in a city park in Chicago, Illinois. Rabbits occurred in densities as high as 16.3 rabbits/ha, which is comparatively high for the Midwestern United States. An annual survivorship of 30.4?±?12.9 % SE was similar to that observed in natural environments in similar climates. This result refuted our hypothesis that urban rabbits would have higher annual survival rates than rabbits in natural settings due to food subsidies supplied by landscaping in parks. Mean distance between trap locations for rabbits trapped three or more times was 43.14?±?30.01 m SD, suggesting that rabbits in the urban study area had smaller home ranges than rabbits in non-human-dominated habitats. This study contributes to our understanding of population dynamics of a human-wildlife conflict species in urban environments and provides useful information for managers dealing with damage caused by rabbits. The mark-resight method employed here could be used by managers to estimate pre- and post-management population sizes of other conflict species, for example Canada geese (Branta Canadensis), in parks and green spaces, provided that the species is trappable, visible, and individuals have relatively small home ranges.     

That straight talk: Sarah Palin and the sociolinguistics of demonstratives

Drawing on previous analyses of the social meaning of demonstratives and other function words, we argue that the semantics of demonstratives facilitates affective uses that can be characterized as attempts by the speaker to foster a sense of shared perspective and common ground with other discourse participants. We present large‐scale quantitative evidence that this strategy is widely used and communicatively effective. We then conduct a focused case study of the demonstrative use of U.S. politician and public figure Sarah Palin, situated in the wider context of Palin's persona, style, and place in the social landscape. An analysis of television interview data shows that Palin is a distinctive and prolific user of affective demonstratives. Palin's usage highlights the context‐dependence of demonstratives’ social meaning and leads to a deeper understanding of her rhetorical strategies and the polarized reactions they have received.     

‘Pure milk’: dairy production and the discourse of purity in Mongolia

In this article I explore some of the ways in which consumer discourse related to factory-produced tarag (drinkable yogurt) reflects concerns about food safety and cultural identity in Mongolia. Providing examples of how Mongolian industrial dairy producers position products made from imported milk powder as ‘local’, ‘pure’, and ‘natural’, I contrast consumers’ views of ‘artificial’ or ‘poisonous’ milk from Inner Mongolia (China), uncertainty over the nature of Mongolian milk products, and the increasing terminological confusion brought about by dairy process standardization. This paper draws on an analysis of comments posted to Mongolian-language online news sites, in response to rumours that ‘Goyo Tarag’ – a popular yogurt beverage manufactured by Orgil Foods – might in fact be Chinese in origin.     

REPLICATION OF A CHOICE MODEL

This study provides an operational replication of a proposed multiattribute choice model. The necessity of replication in the decision sciences in general and in consumer behavior in particular is discussed. Several alternative forms of multiattribute choice models are considered. Results are supportive of earlier efforts in this area.     

TOWARD A PSYCHO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS PARADIGM OF ORGANIZATIONAL MEASUREMENT*

This paper proposes the need to revise the traditional paradigm of measurement as it applies to organizations. It develops the notion that measurement in an organizational context must be viewed as a “psycho-technical system,” a technology that is intended to influence behavior, including management decisions. It examines the functions of measurement as a psycho-technical system and presents proposed criteria consistent with this revised view of organizational measurement.     

Coalitional desirability and the equal division value

Theory and Decision - We introduce three natural collective variants of the well-known axiom of desirability (Maschler and Peleg in Pac J Math 18:289–328, 1966), which require that if the...     

Leadership in Statistics: Increasing Our Value and Visibility

Scientists in every discipline are generating data more rapidly than ever before, resulting in an increasing need for statistical skills at a time when there is decreasing visibility for the field of statistics. Resolving this paradox requires stronger statistical leadership to guide multidisciplinary teams in the design and planning of scientific research and making decisions based on data. It requires more effective communication to nonstatisticians of the value of statistics in using data to answer questions, predict outcomes, and support decision-making in the face of uncertainty. It also requires a greater appreciation of the unique capabilities of alternative quantitative disciplines such as machine learning, data science, pharmacometrics, and bioinformatics which represent an opportunity for statisticians to achieve greater impact through collaborative partnership. Examples taken from pharmaceutical drug development are used to illustrate the concept of statistical leadership in a collaborative multidisciplinary team environment.     

Woman to Woman (W2W): Adapting an HIV risk reduction intervention for older women

Woman to Woman (W2W) is a novel adaptation of the Sisters Informing Sisters about Topics on AIDS (SISTA) HIV prevention program. This article describes the process of adapting and piloting W2W based on recommendations from existing HIV prevention research. Six older women, all of whom had histories of homelessness and the majority of whom identified as African American, enrolled in the study, which piloted the adapted intervention and materials, evaluated the acceptability of the program, and assessed the measures related to the intervention. Participants described satisfaction with the program and had high rates of attendance; observations regarding the measures suggest the need to further develop assessments of HIV knowledge, condom use self-efficacy, and risk behaviors in this context.