Goodness-of-fit tests in semi-linear models

Specification tests for the error distribution are proposed in semi-linear models, including the partial linear model and additive models. The tests utilize an integrated distance involving the empirical characteristic function of properly estimated residuals. These residuals are obtained from an initial estimation step involving a combination of penalized least squares and smoothing techniques. A bootstrap version of the tests is utilized in order to study the small sample behavior of the procedures in comparison with more classical approaches. As an example, the tests are applied on some real data sets.     

Ungleichheit und Vorurteil

The authors take a look at how established sociological research in Germany deals with two distinct subjects: migrants in the German school system and New Fascists. The article highlights surprising, contrary feeling rules social scientists active in these two research areas develop regarding their objects of investigation. As it turns out in both cases social disintegration serves as an explanatory research frame. But feeling rules derived from this frame point in opposite directions. New Fascists are cast in the roles of victims of social change and institutional failure, thus calling for empathy and/or sympathy as the feeling to be directed towards them. Migrants, in contrast, are blamed for their situation, which invokes indifference and antipathy as a feeling rule. Comparing both research areas reveals how they connect to each other. Together they establish a dichotomous emotional regime which traces the lines of simultaneous inclusion in and exclusion from the German society.     

Therapy with male pathological gamblers: Between self help group and group therapy—Report of a developmental process

A therapy project was developed for pathological gambling patients and, within a three year period, more than 60 gamblers were studied and treated. Diagnostic evaluation was made according to DSM-III. In addition to individual and family therapy, we designed a voluntary group setting. In this report, we concentrate first on the development of group work, then on some psychodynamic hypotheses about the personality of the gambler. We also try to show the correspondence between these hypotheses and the group process. Pathological gambling is seen as an attempt at self-healing and a strategy of conflict-solving; the slot machine, as an inanimate object, offers a temporary symbiosis with clear limitations; the gambling will come to a guaranteed end, either when all of the money is lost, or when gaming ends at night. Finally, we list some recommendations for the treatment of gamblers in group therapy.This research was supported by the Ärztliche Psychologische Beratungsstelle für Studierende der Universität Göttingen, Chairman: Prof. E. Sperling, M.D.Since one author (J.H.) worked alone in the first period of the project, passages referring to this period are written in the first person singular.This article is an extension of the special issue on Gambling in Europe edited by Iver Hand, M.D.     

Women's Critical Responses to Sexually Explicit Material: The Role of Hyperfemininity and Processing Style

Previous research on women's responses to male-targeted sexually explicit material (SEM) suggests that women may be critical toward such content. However, women's critical responses to SEM have not been explained empirically. The present study had two goals: (1) to investigate whether women's critical responses to male-targeted SEM depend on individual differences in gender role orientation (i.e., hyperfemininity) and (2) to explain the effect of hyperfemininity on critical responses to SEM by looking at the way sexual material is processed. In an online experiment among women aged 18 to 30 (N = 195), both the type of SEM (a male- versus female-targeted erotic story) and processing style (stimulus- versus response-focused) were manipulated. In addition, participants were divided into three groups based on low, moderate, or high hyperfemininity. When using stimulus-focused processing (i.e., attending to the characters and situational context of the story), women were more critical toward male-targeted SEM (relative to female-targeted material), but only when they had low and moderate degrees of hyperfemininity.     

The importance of taxes in entrepreneurial decisions: an analysis of practicing physicians’ behavior

An irrational strong importance of taxes in an individual’s decision-making behavior is one of the most popular assumptions about the behavioral effects of taxation. However, empirical research about this phenomenon is rare. In a study of German physicians, this paper analyzes whether tax aspects are over weighted in entrepreneurial decision-making. Furthermore, factors that may influence the irrational decision-making behavior of actors are analyzed. As research method, a conjoint analysis is used that permits measurement of the relative importance of tax aspects in decisions. The first result of the study is that the majority of the respondents (practicing physicians) misestimate their own marginal tax rate. The main result of the study is that––in comparison to the neoclassical model of rational maximization of consumption utility––most of the respondents overweight tax aspects. No evidence can be found for any relationship between indicators of a possible tax aversion (e.g., low satisfaction with the tax system) and attention to tax aspects in the decisions analyzed.

Illiquide Assets in der Portfoliooptimierung

When optimizing a portfolio, which comprises liquid as well as illiquid assets, under the constraint of a liquidity requirement, one has to take into account the particular characteristics of illiquid assets. Illiquid assets in this context have the constituting property that they can only be sold as a whole and – if sold on a short term basis – selling leads to losses. Performing the analysis of a single period model in a mean downside risk framework with one liquid and one illiquid asset, significant differences are proven in comparison to the results of an optimization concerning solely liquid assets. For example, although the return on assets is safe in the first scenario, the portfolio value is already risky due to the uncertain liquidity requirement and situations arise where the allocation to both the liquid and the illiquid asset is optimal. Furthermore, when asset returns are uncertain, the expected portfolio value depends on the assets’ variances and can even be increased by positive correlations.     

Fehlermultiplikation und Pfadabhängigkeit

Secondary analyses, i.e. analyses of data which were not collected for this purpose and/or not by these people, are widely used due to their outstanding advantages. However, their methodological implications are seldom discussed. The widespread secondary use of few data sets has implications for the published knowledge base of the discipline. Known and unknown biases and random error in a particular data set are multiplied in published knowledge. The realm of undetected errors increases if data producer and data user are separated. Furthermore available data sets limit the possibility of introducing new concepts resulting in a path dependency of scientific progress. Consequently, primary data should be valued; using only partly appropriate data sets can improve and validate our knowledge; data sets have to be considered in literature reviews; and indirect measurement or additional macro variables may be used to integrate unconventional concepts. User conferences help closing the gap between data producers and users.