Sources of Mathematics Self-Efficacy in High School Students

The relation of four hypothesized sources of self-efficacy information to high school students' math self-efficacy was explored. Results indicated that (a) of the hypothesized sources, prior performance was the most efficient predictor of self-efficacy; (b) global academic self-concept did not explain unique self-efficacy variation beyond prior performance; and (c) the effect of self-efficacy on the perceived utility of math to future life and work plans was mediated by students' math/science interests.     

Business ethics and philosophical pragmatism

Today it is common for business people to refer to themselves as pragmatists. There is, however, at least one significant difference between business pragmatism and traditional philosophical pragmatism: the attitude towards ethics. In this paper we discuss several approaches business pragmatists have taken toward ethics in business. We then describe the approach taken by one philosophical pragmatist, William James. We conclude that, pragmatically speaking, philosophical pragmatism is the superior view.     

A Symposium on Unemployment Statistics

Separate Poisson distributions were evaluated via several hypotheses tests for each of the 16 teams in the National Hockey League using 1973–74 goals for and goals against both home and away. After examining independence of goals for and goals against, they in turn were used to explain order of finish for the 16 teams. The results were quite surprising.     

Demonstrating the Benefits of Predictive Bayesian Dose–Response Relationships Using Six Exposure Studies of Cryptosporidium parvum

A conventional dose–response function can be refitted as additional data become available. A predictive dose–response function in contrast does not require a curve-fitting step, only additional data and presents the unconditional probabilities of illness, reflecting the level of information it contains. In contrast, the predictive Bayesian dose–response function becomes progressively less conservative as more information is included. This investigation evaluated the potential for using predictive Bayesian methods to develop a dose–response for human infection that improves on existing models, to show how predictive Bayesian statistical methods can utilize additional data, and expand the Bayesian methods for a broad audience including those concerned about an oversimplification of dose–response curve use in quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). This study used a dose–response relationship incorporating six separate data sets for Cryptosporidium parvum. A Pareto II distribution with known priors was applied to one of the six data sets to calibrate the model, while the others were used for subsequent updating. While epidemiological principles indicate that local variations, host susceptibility, and organism strain virulence may vary, the six data sets all appear to be well characterized using the Bayesian approach. The adaptable model was applied to an existing data set for Campylobacter jejuni for model validation purposes, which yielded results that demonstrate the ability to analyze a dose–response function with limited data using and update those relationships with new data. An analysis of the goodness of fit compared to the beta-Poisson methods also demonstrated correlation between the predictive Bayesian model and the data.     

Economic Inequality,Relative Power,and Religiosity*

Objective. What effect does the extent of economic inequality within a country have on the religiosity of the people who live there? As inequality increases, does religion serve primarily as a source of comfort for the deprived and impoverished or as a tool of social control for the rich and powerful? Methods. This article examines these questions with two complementary analyses of inequality and religiosity: a multilevel analysis of countries around the world over two decades and a time‐series analysis of the United States over a half‐century. Results. Economic inequality has a strong positive effect on the religiosity of all members of a society regardless of income. Conclusions. These results support relative power theory, which maintains that greater inequality yields more religiosity by increasing the degree to which wealthy people are attracted to religion and have the power to shape the attitudes and beliefs of those with fewer means.     

Questions and Answers

(We are attempting to inaugurate a different type of questions and answers page in this issue of the American Statistician. Our purpose is to stimulate an interest in conceptual and measurement problems which arise in the course of statistical work and which require discussion apart from purely mathematical considerations. It is hoped that our readers will find this approach of interest and value. We are inviting questions of this type.)     

The second fifteen years: a continuation of the chronicle of the department of statistics at the florida state university

The history of the Department of Statistics at The Florida State University is traced through its second fifteen years of existence.