Eliciting and Classifying Concerns: A Methodological Critique

Two methodological steps in the study of peoples'concerns are elicitation and classification. Elicitation of concerns through analytical methods such as surveys can be supplemented with techniques that perform more diversively. We present two examples of how this can be accomplished: one in the expert community and one in the lay community. A classification taxonomy is a subjective choice of the researcher and it can only be evaluated against the stated objectives of the research. We present a classification schema that is explicitly oriented toward diagnosing the substantive needs of public discourses about risk decision making. To illustrate how concerns can be elicited in a social setting and how this classification tool can be applied, we report on a public participation exercise in New Jersey where citizens discussed the impacts of land application of sewage sludge at an experimental farm.     

What is Loss Aversion?

A behavioral definition of loss aversion is proposed and its implications for original and cumulative prospect theory are analyzed. Original prospect theory is in agreement with the new loss aversion condition, and there utility is capturing all effects of loss aversion. In cumulative prospect theory loss aversion is captured by both the weighting functions and the utility function. Further, some restrictions apply for the weighting functions involved in the latter model.We are indebted to Michèle Cohen and Peter Wakker for helpful comments. The suggestions of an anonymous referee have improved the presentation of the paper.     

Separating curvature and elevation: A parametric probability weighting function

This paper presents a preference foundation for a two-parameter family of probability weighting functions. We provide a theoretical link between the well-established notions of probabilistic risk attitudes (i.e., optimism and pessimism) used in economics and the important independent measures for individual behavior used in the psychology literature (i.e., curvature and elevation). One of the parameters in our model measures curvature and represents the diminishing effect of optimism and pessimism when moving away from extreme probabilities 0 and 1. The other parameter measures elevation and represents the relative strength of optimism vs. pessimism. Our empirical analysis indicates that the new weighting function fits elicited probability weights well, and that it can explain differences in the treatment of probabilities for gains compared to that for probabilities of losses.     

On intertemporal poverty measures: the role of affluence and want

This paper proposes classes of intertemporal poverty measures which take into account both the debilitating impact of prolonged spells in poverty and the mitigating effect of periods of affluence on subsequent poverty. The weight assigned to the level of poverty in each time period depends on the length of the preceding spell of poverty or of non-poverty. The proposed classes of intertemporal poverty measures are quite general and allow for a range of possible judgements as to the overall impact on a poor period of preceding spells of poverty or affluence. We discuss the properties of the proposed classes of measures and axiomatically characterize these measures.     

Immigrants,blacklegs and ‘unpatriotic employers’: The London stonemasons’ strike of 1877–78

This case study gives a detailed account of this labour struggle with special emphasis on the importation and immigration of workmen from North America and the Continent as well as from England and Scotland to London during the dispute. Placed in this international perspective and in the context of German immigration to Britain, particular consideration is given to stonemasons coming from Northern and Southern Germany. While a considerable number of the workers who arrived in the British capital, in solidarity with the men on strike, refused to work for the employers and left London aided by the stonemasons’ union, a majority acted as strike‐breakers and was thus instrumental in bringing about the defeat of the local workers in their struggle for shorter hours and higher wages.     

Aufsichtsratsverflechtungen und ihr Einfluss

This article examines the development of executive compensation of the German DAX corporations from 2001 to 2006. A higher executive compensation requires an approval of the supervisory board. Accordingly, we investigate the social network of the board of directors of these companies and use several variables describing the structure of this network as covariates of the development of the executive compensation in a panel analysis. Fixed and time effects panel estimations imply that a rising number of executives in the supervisory board of other companies results in increasing compensation. By contrast, executive compensation decreases when the supervisory board of the respective company is controlled by a growing number of executives from foreign companies.     

Delayed probabilistic risk attitude: a parametric approach

Theory and Decision - Experimental studies suggest that individuals exhibit more risk aversion in choices among prospects when the payment and resolution of uncertainty are immediate relative to...     

作为哲学的宗教和作为宗教的哲学——论哲学、宗教和神学之间的关系

哲学、宗教和神学之间具有多样性,它们之间具有互惠关系。三者的区别体现在:哲学指研究万有或整个实在的第一原则或第一因;宗教在源初意义上涉及人和神之间的关系;特定的神学在基督教中发展起来,用以解释旧约和新约中神圣启示的内涵。从比较哲学和宗教来看,它们之间的区别有:宗教直接献身于神,哲学的对象是作为存在的存在;宗教以将自身献身于神圣权威的信仰为基础,哲学在其自身的知识领域之中则是自主的,以人类理性为其唯一权威;宗教态度热望获得拯救、修和以及与神圆融,哲学志在获得有关实在的原因的知识。宗教和哲学之间的共同点在于都具有实在主义精神。从比较宗教和神学来看,宗教和基督教神学在信仰神上是一致的,但神学以科学方式研习神圣启示的内涵。从比较哲学和神学来看,哲学没有信仰,神学具有信仰,其共同点是实在主义。今天人们尝试着将神学和生存主义哲学联合起来,其中序言部分是哲学,结论性部分是神学。