Measuring Inequity Aversion in a Heterogeneous Population Using Experimental Decisions and Subjective Probabilities

We combine choice data in the ultimatum game with the expectations of proposers elicited by subjective probability questions to estimate a structural model of decision making under uncertainty. The model, estimated using a large representative sample of subjects from the Dutch population, allows both nonlinear preferences for equity and expectations to vary across socioeconomic groups. Our results indicate that inequity aversion to one's own disadvantage is an increasing and concave function of the payoff difference. We also find considerable heterogeneity in the population. Young and highly educated subjects have lower aversion for inequity than other groups. Moreover, the model that uses subjective data on expectations generates much better in‐ and out‐of‐sample predictions than a model which assumes that players have rational expectations.     

The Schwarzian derivative as a ranking of downside risk aversion

It is observed that the measure S _u  = u′′′/u′ − (3/2)(u′′/u′)², previously shown to be a relevant measure of the degree of downside risk aversion, is known in the mathematics literature as the Schwarzian derivative. The Schwarzian derivative has invariance properties under composition of functions that make it particularly well-behaved as a ranking of downside risk aversion. Indeed, it has the same invariance properties as the measure R _u  = −u′′/u′, familiar to economists as a ranking of utility functions by degree of Arrow-Pratt risk aversion.     

Experts in experiments

An ever increasing number of experiments attempts to elicit risk preferences of a population of interest with the aim of calibrating parameters used in economic models. We are concerned with two types of selection effects, which may affect the external validity of standard experiments: Sampling from a narrowly defined population of students (??experimenter-induced selection??) and self-selection due to non-response or incomplete response of participants in a random sample from a broad population. We find that both types of selection lead to a sample of experts: Participants perform significantly better than the general population, in the sense of fewer violations of revealed preference conditions. Self-selection within a broad population does not seem to matter for average preferences. In contrast, sampling from a student population leads to lower estimates of average risk aversion and loss aversion parameters. Furthermore, it dramatically reduces the amount of heterogeneity in all parameters.     

Schulleitungscoaching – Konzeption und Ausbildungsevaluation

Since principals in schools are increasingly turning into managers of educational institutions, coaching approaches have an increasing importance. Accordingly, the Bavarian Ministry for Education and Culture in cooperation with the National Institute for Quality in Schools and Educational Research and the Academy of Teacher Education and Personnel Management has introduced the project ?Coaching – an Instrument to Professionalise School-based Leadership“. The project involves exemplary coachings of school management teams and the training of coaches with a focus on school-related issues at the University of Innsbruck. The training of coaches is based on a special curriculum, which was evaluated using a multi-methods approach. The outcomes show that the coaching model is accepted by coaches and that the training is of high quality     

Marital Violence: An Integrated Systems Approach

A review of current issues and approaches to the problem of marital violence is presented. In order to understand volatile relationships, these attachments are discussed within the context of the normal progression of events in the formation and development of a marriage. A systems model that integrates current conceptual thinking is presented, The article concludes with a paradigm for therapeutic decision-making and strategies that flow from the integrated systems model.     

Immigration and the Wages of Native Workers: Spatial versus Occupational Approaches

Using data from the Current Population Survey, we study the impact of the increasing proportion of immigrants on the wages of native workers. Two different approaches are contrasted. The most common method has been the spatial approach that uses some geographic unit of analysis to investigate the multivariate association between the proportion of immigrants and the wages of native workers. Previous studies using the spatial approach have generally found little evidence of a significant negative effect. We propose, however, a contrasting method that represents an occupational approach in which occupations are the unit of analysis to investigate the impact of the proportion immigrant. This occupational approach avoids the bias that is inherent in the spatial approach due to the endogenous nature of immigrants' decisions about where to reside and the economic opportunities of local areas. In contrast to the spatial approach, our results using the same data but employing the occupational approach yield consistently negative net effects of the proportion immigrant on the wages of native workers during the period from 1994 to 2006.     

The Importance of Social Cues for Discretionary Health Services Utilization: The Case of Infertility

Infertility is a discretionary health condition; although it carries with it important life course implications, treatment is rarely necessary for health reasons. Sociological theories of medical help‐seeking emphasize demographic factors, perceived need, and enabling conditions in health services utilization, but we find that social cues are also strongly associated with health services utilization for infertility. Adjusted for conventional predictors of medical help‐seeking, several social cue indicators have significant associations with utilization, including having friends and family with children, perceiving infertility stigma, and having a partner and/or family member who encourages treatment. Perceived need accounts for the largest portion of the variation in utilization. Enabling conditions explain less of the variance than social cues. Social cues should be especially important for discretionary health services utilization. Studies of service utilization for discretionary health conditions should explicitly incorporate a range of measures of social cues into their models.     

Public support for Hispanic deportation in the United States: the effects of ethnic prejudice and perceptions of economic competition in a period of economic distress

This paper investigates the effect of ethnic prejudice and perceived economic competition on support for deportation and alternative policy options concerning the handling of undocumented immigrants. Using a national survey conducted in early 2009, data are analysed using bivariate and multinomial regression techniques. Ethnic prejudice and perceived economic competition were found to be significantly related to support for deportation in the face of alternative options, controlling for the effects of age, sex, employment status, nativity, race, party identification, and education. Furthermore, majority support for deportation was found among conservatives, moderates, Republicans, and Independents. Even among liberals and Democrats, substantial numbers supported deportation. During the recent economic recession, perceived economic competition and ethnic prejudice were dominant influences on deportation preferences, and deportation appears to have become a mainstream policy option. However, we speculate that deportation preferences are relatively shallow and unstable owing partly to the dependence of immigration public opinion on economic cycles, and, ultimately, the unfeasibility of deportation as a policy option.     

Preparing Whistleblowers for Reporting Research Misconduct

Making an allegation of research misconduct can be stressful for a whistleblower. The Research Integrity Officer (RIO) can play an important role in helping reduce the stress by thoroughly discussing what whistleblowers can expect if they make an allegation. Through interviews with 77 RIOs who had recently handled a research misconduct case, we found that RIOs who addressed more topics as well as specific aspects of the topics were more likely to have used some type of memory aide in their initial contact with whistleblowers, talked with ORI staff or other RIOs about “hypothetical” research misconduct cases, or attended a RIO boot camp training. We believe that RIOs who more fully inform whistleblowers are providing timely preparation and building whistleblowers' confidence so they can make a more informed decision about reporting and experience less stress.