Simultaneous one-sided tolerance intervals for sets of contrasts from normal populations

This paper considers the problem of constructing simultaneous prediction and tolerance intervals for sets of contrasts of normal variables in situations where simultaneous intervals are available. Tables are given with critical values used in simultaneous tolerance bounds for two classes of contrasts: pairwise many-one and profile type.     

On testing homogeneity of t normal means against ordered alternatives in r groups

Given k=rt normal populations with a common but unknown variance consisting of t treatments applied to r different groups of units, and supposing that in each group the means are monoto-nically non-decreasing (or non-increasing), then the likelihood ratio test of homogeneity of the means in each group against the simple order alternative is considered. Critical values are provided when one observation is drawn from each of the k populations.     

Social psychological predictors of involvement in childcare: the mediating role of changes in women’s work patterns after childbirth

ABSTRACT

This study sought to explore the role of couples’ social psychological characteristics in the division of childcare responsibilities. Using a longitudinal sample of 148 expecting couples, gender ideologies, attitudes toward the father role and self-enhancement values were measured during the third trimester of pregnancy. As hypothesized, prenatal gender ideologies predicted maternal and paternal involvement in childcare one year postpartum, and their effect was mediated by changes in the mothers’ work patterns following childbirth. Moreover, parents’ attitudes toward the father role predicted the father’s involvement in childcare, and the importance the parents placed on self-enhancement values predicted their own lower levels of involvement in childcare and greater involvement of their spouses. Taken together, the findings stress the importance of couples’ social psychological characteristics and suggest that they guide couples’ decisions about changes in the mother’s work hours and income, which in turn affect the division of childcare responsibilities.     

Second‐Generation Poverty Reduction Strategies: New Opportunities and Emerging Issues

The poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP) approach has taken centre stage in development asssistance over the past five years. International endorsement of the approach has led to important gains in government focus on poverty reduction, civil society participation and donor behaviour. Yet PRSPs also potentially offer a much greater contribution to aid effectiveness, good governance and poverty reduction in developing countries. With a second generation of PRSPs now set to appear, this article examines the technical and political challenges that need addressing to realise their potential over time. Emerging issues include how to respond to political transitions, alternative design approaches, how to assess financing needs, and ways of enhancing the predictability of aid.     

On inference from inconsistent premisses

The main object of this paper is to provide the logical machinery needed for a viable basis for talking of the consequences, the content, or of equivalences between inconsistent sets of premisses.With reference to its maximal consistent subsets (m.c.s.), two kinds of consequences of a propositional set S are defined. A proposition P is a weak consequence (W-consequence) of S if it is a logical consequence of at least one m.c.s. of S, and P is an inevitable consequence (I-consequence) of S if it is a logical consequence of all the m.c.s. of S. The set of W-consequences of a set S it determines (up to logical equivalence) its m.c.s. (This enables us to define a normal form for every set such that any two sets having the same W-consequences have the same normal form.) The W-consequences and I-consequences will not do to define the content of a set S. The first is too broad, may include propositions mutually inconsistent, the second is too narrow. A via media between these concepts is accordingly defined: P is a P-consequence of S, where P is some preference criterion yielding some of the m.c.s. of S as preferred to others, and P is a consequence of all of the P-preferred m.c.s. of S. The bulk of the paper is devoted to discussion of various preference criteria, and also surveys the application of this machinery in diverse contexts - for example, in connection with the processing of mutually inconsistent reports.     

Using visual vignettes to explore sensitive topics: a research note on exploring attitudes towards people with albinism in Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This study is one of the first to explore the use of (drawn) visual vignettes in qualitative research in Africa. The vignette method was used to discuss the sensitive topic of people’s attitudes towards people with albinism in Tanzania among high school students. Focus was on two key questions: (i) To what extent was the vignette method implemented as intended?; (ii) Has the vignette method achieved its goal?. This research note discusses the effectivity of the visual vignette method as a tool to gain a better insight into people’s attitudes towards people with albinism, but also describes the possibilities of visual vignettes as a tool for research on other sensitive topics.     

A Framework for Understanding Risk Perception,Explored from the Perspective of the Water Practitioner

Sustainable urban water systems are likely to be hybrids of centralized and decentralized infrastructure, managed as an integrated system in water‐sensitive cities. The technology for many of these systems is available. However, social and institutional barriers, which can be understood as deeply embedded risk perceptions, have impeded their implementation. Risk perceptions within the water sector are often unrecognized or unacknowledged, despite their role in risk management generally in informing value judgments and specifically in ranking risks to achieve management objectives. There has been very little examination of the role of these risk perceptions in advancing more sustainable water supply management through the adoption of alternative sources. To address this gap, this article presents a framework that can be used as a tool for understanding risk perceptions. The framework is built on the relational theory of risk and presents the range of human phenomena that might influence the perception of an “object at risk” in relation to a “risk object.” It has been synthesized from a critical review of theoretical, conceptual, and empirical studies of perception broadly and risk perception specifically, and interpreted in relation to water practitioners. For a water practitioner, the risk object might be an alternative water system, a component, a process, or a technology, and the object at risk could be public or environmental health, profitability, or professional reputation. This framework has two important functions: to allow practitioners to understand their own and others’ risk perceptions, which might differ, and to inform further empirical research.     

Work absence as a function of a national traumatic event: The case of Prime Minister Rabin's assassination

Most research on absenteeism has focused on the effects of individual and work-related factors, to the exclusion of the effects of societal and political events external to the individual and his/her specific work conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the emotional reaction to the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin in Israel and work absenteeism during the period following the assassination. It was hypothesized that: (1) emotional reaction is positively related to absenteeism; (2) this relationship is stronger among female employees than among male employees; and (3) this relationship is stronger for individuals who are pessimistic about the future as opposed to those who are optimistic. These hypotheses were supported by data collected from a random sample of 199 working adults.