Making statements and approval voting

We assume that people have a need to make statements, and construct a model in which this need is the sole determinant of voting behavior. In this model, an individual selects a ballot that makes as close a statement as possible to her ideal point, where abstaining from voting is a possible (null) statement. We show that in such a model, a political system that adopts approval voting may be expected to enjoy a significantly higher rate of participation in elections than a comparable system with plurality rule.     

New Product Development Decision‐Making Effectiveness: Comparing Individuals,Face‐To‐Face Teams,and Virtual Teams*

A total of 411 subjects participated in two decision‐making experiments in order to examine the effectiveness of new product development project continuation decisions. Using escalation of commitment theory, in Study 1, individual versus face‐to‐face team decision‐making effectiveness was compared. Study 2, an extension of Study 1, compared the new product development decision‐making effectiveness of individuals, face‐to‐face teams, and virtual teams. A virtual team is a geographically and temporally dispersed and electronically communicating work group. In Study 2, the virtual teams communicated asynchronously via groupware technology. Our findings suggest that teams make more effective decisions than individuals, and virtual teams make the most effective decisions.     

CUMULATIVE ADVERTISING EFFECTS: THE ROLE OF SERIAL CORRELATION*

Since its publication, Palda's [12] initial work which supported the existence of a lagged relationship between advertising expenditures and sales has been frequently discussed and criticized. That criticism has been directed at both methodological and structural issues. This paper is an attempt to answer some of the questions which have been raised regarding the structural issues concerning the role of autocorrelation in Palda's results and to develop the implications of these structural issues for the marketing manager.     

From Fat to Thin: Informal Rites Affirming Identity Change

Rituals provide public solutions to some types of life crises, or change. There are crises which beset the individual in modern society which are not easily addressed by public ritual. The present paper observes such a life crisis and identifies conscious rites performed by individuals. These rites are called, “personal definitional rites”, and take place in situations demanding identity changes. Newly acquired identity is performed ritually in an attempt to elicit recognition of a new social state. Thirty-six patients clinically defined as obese underwent gastric reduction surgery. Patients were interviewed after having lost excess weight in order to understand the social results of the dramatic change in appearance. Patients described various “rites” they used to complete their conversion from fat to thin. These rites are compared to rites of transition and definition.     

Dissociation in medical practice: Social distress and the health care system

The average physician has developed several different heads, each representing another self on the same body. One is that of the conventional, ethical professional who wants nothing more than to improve mankind's health and well-being, the standard model. Another is the scientist who intends to be perceived as calculating, cold, and factual in determining what will or will not assist the ailing patient (Uexkull & Hannes, 1986). His tools are drugs, surgery, and hospitalization for presumed physical and mental ills. The third, and the one that concerns us the most, is what I will call the neo-capitalist professional hero (Lifion, 1971). This persona is an evolution of our American dominated international culture which the medical profession as a group has honored by honing and polishing with extraordinary skill, second only to politicians and bankers, maximizing it to the further detriment of the entire society. Though the body needs all three to function, none of these heads willingly acknowledges or supports the importance of the others. In what follows, a variety of media, journals, professional books, and a survey are referred to in documenting data about ethical laxity and fraud in the medical profession. Institutional, social concepts are developed that explain the data, and revealing how social distress is the embodiment of the neo-capitalist professional hero. There are also suggestions for remedies in what follows, which are presented without realistic hope for implementation very soon, unfortunately, since they involve deep changes in established social institutions. However, the country at large has developed some awareness of a problem which has reached epidemic proportions in the medical profession. Further increments in awareness promise to tip the balance into positive government action.     

More than just being there: balancing the participation equation

The research and evaluation evidence is mounting: out-of-school-time (OST) programs can keep young people safe, support working families, and improve academic achievement and social development. Over 6 million children are enrolled in after-school programs nationwide, but an estimated 14.3 million children still care for themselves in the nonschool hours. Because of this discrepancy, OST stakeholders need information about how to maximize participation in OST programs. The Harvard Family Research Project (HRFP) has developed a conceptual model, based on scholarly theory, empirical research, and knowledge gained from providers, that describes the characteristics that predict participation in OST programs as well as the potential benefits of that participation. In the center of the model, participation is conceived as a three-part construct of enrollment, attendance, and engagement. This equation serves as the basis for framing this issue of New Directions for Youth Development. The chapter provides an overview of why participation in OST programs matters for young people, describes some of the barriers and challenges to youth participation, teases out more precise definitions of participation, and presents HFRP's conceptual model of participation. It focuses on the participation equation and concludes by highlighting some overarching themes that recur throughout the issue and that have an impact on future directions for research and evaluation.     

Estimating free-roaming cat populations and the effects of one year Trap-Neuter-Return management effort in a highly urban area

Free-roaming cat populations are increasing in urban areas around the world. Management strategies remain controversial, as attempts to rapidly minimize the impact of cats may conflict with finding an ethical means of population reduction in this domesticated species. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a non-lethal strategy which can theoretically lead to population decline with an ethical approach. The present study aimed to estimate free-roaming cat populations and also to measure the efficacy of a one-year TNR campaign in a highly urban area. Using a sight/resight methodology, we examined free-roaming cat populations in four sites across two neighbourhoods (Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant) in New York City. Sampling was repeated after 1 year, during which an intensive TNR effort occurred in each of those areas. Results from this study found population estimates range from 2.6-4.1 cats/km. Additionally, we found between 78-98% turnover in each study area. After one year of TNR, the proportion of sterilised individuals in our treatment sites increased to 50%. Model results suggest there is no evidence that sterilised individuals are more likely to be encountered, indicating that sterilisation may not affect movement patterns of cats. Free-roaming cats occur at high densities at all study sites, though populations varied, even within the same neighbourhood. We found evidence of considerable migration within study sites, which further complicates the application of a sterilisation management strategy. Management strategies directed toward free-roaming cats, such as TNR, may require a broad-scale approach, involving different facets of the community and should occur over multiple years.     

Two-sample tests and tests of fit

There is a close analogy between the problems of testing the hypothesis that two samples come from the same continuous population (the two-sample problem) and testing the hypothesis that a single sample comes from a completely specified continuous distribution (a test of fit problem). In an earlier paper, asymptotic distribution theory was developed for the test of fit problem, under both the hypothesis being tested and interesting alternatives. In this paper, essentially the same asymptotic theory is shown to hold for the two-sample problem. Applications are given.