Evidence for the Absence of Stimulus Quality Differences in Tests of the Accuracy of Sexual Orientation Judgments: A Reply to Cox,Devine, Bischmann,and Hyde (2016)

An article recently published in this journal (Cox, Devine, Bischmann, &; Hyde, 2016) questioned the validity of existing research on the accurate judgment of sexual orientation from photographs of faces. Specifically, those authors reported a confound in their stimuli whereby the photos of sexual minorities (gay men and lesbians) were of higher quality than the photos of heterosexuals. Based on this finding, they concluded that the accuracy in judging sexual orientation from faces demonstrated in the broader literature is an artifact of stimulus quality differences. Here, we addressed this claim by systematically testing the numerous photo sets that we have used in 61 studies documenting accurate judgments of sexual orientation from facial cues published since 2007. Contrary to their claim, the overwhelming majority of studies (93%) showed no significant differences in photo quality according to sexual orientation. Of those that did show differences, most revealed that heterosexual targets’ photos were actually of higher quality than sexual minority targets’ photos – opposite of what Cox et al. found. In addition, we highlight additional research using stimuli equated for quality differences overlooked in the recent article by Cox et al., lending further support to the conclusion that sexual orientation is legible from multiple sensory cues.     

The smooth colonel and the reverend find common ground

A semiparametric regression estimator that exploits categorical (i.e., discrete-support) kernel functions is developed for a broad class of hierarchical models including the pooled regression estimator, the fixed-effects estimator familiar from panel data, and the varying coefficient estimator, among others. Separate shrinking is allowed for each coefficient. Regressors may be continuous or discrete. The estimator is motivated as an intuitive and appealing generalization of existing methods. It is then supported by demonstrating that it can be realized as a posterior mean in the Lindley and Smith (1972 Lindley, D. V., Smith, A. F. M. (1972). Bayes estimates for the linear model. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 34:1–41. [Google Scholar]) framework. As a demonstration of the flexibility of the proposed approach, the model is extended to nonparametric hierarchical regression based on B-splines.     

Striving to Work

Using data from the 2011–2015 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement, this study improves upon standard United States labor force measures to create three new measures which better capture the range of activities and attitudes that signal, at the individual level, an interest in work. When comparing the traditional employment-to-population ratio and the labor force participation rate with these new ‘striving to work’ measures, we find stark racial differences across measures. Hispanics have slightly higher odds of being employed or in the labor force than non-Hispanic whites, yet have similar odds of striving to work. Other vulnerable populations, including non-Hispanic blacks, non-Hispanic persons of other non-white races, females, and persons with disabilities, have significantly lower odds of participation in any of the five measures, compared to their comparison groups and controlling for other covariates. Policy implications are discussed.     

Does teenage childbearing reduce investment in human capital?

This paper estimates the causal effect of teenage childbearing on educational attainment using two cohorts of Australian twins and their relatives. Our main finding is that the negative effect of teenage childbearing on educational attainment appears to be small. We find no difference in educational attainment between teen mothers and their identical twin sisters. Data on the relatives of the twins enable us to compare a teen mother with both her twin sister and her other sibling sisters. When twin sisters are used as a control group instead of sibling sisters, the estimated difference in educational attainment is much smaller.     

Does Social Connectedness Promote a Greater Sense of Well‐Being in Adolescence Over Time?

This longitudinal study was designed to investigate whether or not social connectedness predicts psychological well‐being over time. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the temporal relations between these constructs assessed yearly for 3 years for a sample of 1,774 10‐ to 15‐year‐olds (at Time 1). Results indicated that global connectedness (i.e., connectedness combined across the domains of family, school, peers, and neighborhood) predicted well‐being, but no reciprocal relation was found. However, reciprocal relations were revealed by analyses that examined connectedness at the domain level, that is, for family and school contexts. The results suggest that youth who reported higher levels of social connectedness at one point in time would subsequently report higher well‐being (i.e., life satisfaction, confidence, positive affect, and aspirations).     

Sheltered Housing and Community

This paper considers the role of sheltered housing following the introduction of new community care arrangements in 1993 and examines the continuing uncertainty about its exact role as community care continues to develop. It reports on a study conducted in Shropshire, using a postal survey and interviews with older people and service professionals. The study highlights the importance of sheltered housing for older people, particularly in relieving them of concerns about maintenance and repairs, social isolation and security. These factors were crucial for their overall peace of mind and quality of life. While only a small proportion of tenants received help under social services' community care arrangements, the additional support, monitoring and service coordination provided by wardens helped some of them to remain in sheltered housing when residential or nursing home care might otherwise have been necessary. Sheltered housing was overwhelmingly popular with older people — but their satisfaction was closely associated with the availability and quality of the warden service. Although sheltered housing is not currently in vogue in housing policy, the paper argues that it plays a vital role in local provision for older people and needs to be more closely integrated into community care policy, while at the same time preserving the characteristics that make it popular with its residents.     

Bayesian Analysis of the Prototypal Search Model

Bayesian analysis for a simple but widely applied dynamic programming model is obtained. The setting is the prototypal job-search model. The general case of wage and duration data, with potential censoring, is studied. The optimality condition implied by the dynamic programming setup is fully imposed. The posterior distribution reveals a “ridge” reflecting the characteristic nonstandard nature of the inference problem. Marginal distributions and moments are obtained in a canonical parameterization after a suitable approximation. The adequacy of the approximation is easily assessed. Simulation is applied to study alternative parameterizations and prior robustness and to facilitate prior elicitations. Finally, we illustrate the applicability of our methods by giving posterior distributions for the elasticities of unemployment durations and reemployment wages with respect to unemployment income. Our analysis is easy to implement and all computations are simple to perform.     

The social and economic impacts of immigration detention facilities: a South Australian case study

The negative attitudes fostered by political rhetoric against asylum seekers create significant problems when asylum seekers are housed within communities. Much of the community's opposition focuses on the perceived economic and social impacts of large numbers of asylum seekers. However, we currently lack research on the local economic and social impacts of asylum seekers. As a contribution to this evidence base our paper outlines a South Australian case study of the impact of a low security immigration detention facility on the local economy, health services and social cohesion. Our impact assessment found that community concerns were not borne out. There were increases in employment and local expenditure, no reduction in health care services or access, and tensions between residents subsided, as did initially strong reactions against the asylum seekers themselves. The minimal impacts were due to the government and community interventions such as seeking local contracts and providing onsite health services. This case study is used to provide some guidelines for other communities to effectively target the fears that matter most to the community – either through disseminating information that reduces fears and myths, or through planning and interventions that minimise negative impacts and enhance positive benefits. In this way, the arrival of asylum seekers can potentially become one that benefits all community members.