Halo and association effects: Cognitive biases in teacher attunement to peer‐nominated bullies,victims, and prosocial students

This study examined whether teachers’ perceptions of students’ behavior (referring to halo effects) and the behavior of teacher‐perceived friends (referring to association effects) influenced teachers’ ability to recognize students identified as bullies, victims, and prosocial by their peers. Data came from 1,458 children (M_age = 10.5, 47.5% girls) and 56 teachers (M_age = 40.8, 66.1% females). Perceived likeability was associated with decreased odds and teachers’ perceptions of popularity and externalizing behavior were associated with increased odds for teacher attunement to bullying. Perceived likeability and affiliation were associated with decreased odds for teacher attunement to victimized students. Teachers’ perceptions of externalizing behavior were associated with decreased odds, whereas teachers’ perceptions of affiliation and academic competence were associated with increased odds for attunement to prosociality. Finally, a positive association was found between teacher attunement and the average behavior of teacher‐perceived friends for bullying, victimization, and prosociality.     

Frequentist and Bayesian Interval Estimators for the Normal Mean

It is well known that a Bayesian credible interval for a parameter of interest is derived from a prior distribution that appropriately describes the prior information. However, it is less well known that there exists a frequentist approach developed by Pratt (1961 Pratt , J. W. ( 1961 ). Length of confidence intervals . J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 56 : 549 – 657 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) that also utilizes prior information in the construction of frequentist confidence intervals. This frequentist approach produces confidence intervals that have minimum weighted average expected length, averaged according to some weight function that appropriately describes the prior information. We begin with a simple model as a starting point in comparing these two distinct procedures in interval estimation. Consider X ₁,…, X _n that are independent and identically N(μ, σ²) distributed random variables, where σ² is known, and the parameter of interest is μ. Suppose also that previous experience with similar data sets and/or specific background and expert opinion suggest that μ = 0. Our aim is to: (a) develop two types of Bayesian 1 ? α credible intervals for μ, derived from an appropriate prior cumulative distribution function F(μ) more importantly; (b) compare these Bayesian 1 ? α credible intervals for μ to the frequentist 1 ? α confidence interval for μ derived from Pratt's frequentist approach, in which the weight function corresponds to the prior cumulative distribution function F(μ). We show that the endpoints of the Bayesian 1 ? α credible intervals for μ are very different to the endpoints of the frequentist 1 ? α confidence interval for μ, when the prior information strongly suggests that μ = 0 and the data supports the uncertain prior information about μ. In addition, we assess the performance of these intervals by analyzing their coverage probability properties and expected lengths.     

Psychological Wellbeing Among Same‐sex Attracted and Heterosexual Parents: Role of Connectedness to Family and Friendship Networks

Increasing numbers of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults are entering into parenthood. Previous studies indicate many of these parents receive little or no support from their families of origin due to family members' negative attitudes toward homosexuality. This study looks at the extent to which LGB parents report a lower sense of connectedness to family of origin and friendship networks than heterosexual parents and whether this has an impact on psychological wellbeing in either of these groups. Data were derived from two studies of parents: Work, Love, Play, a study of Australian and New Zealand LGB parents (n=324); and the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, a population‐based study of young children and parents (n=6460). Structural equation modelling was used to explore the relationships between: parent sexuality and family/friendship connectedness, family/friendship connectedness and psychological wellbeing, parent sexuality and psychological wellbeing. LGB parents reported feeling less connected to their families of origin but more connected to their friendship groups than heterosexual parents. Counter to previous studies, we found no difference in the psychological wellbeing of LGB parents compared to heterosexual parents when examining the direct effect of sexuality on psychological wellbeing. Clinical implications for counsellors and family therapists are discussed.     

Utilitarian,managerial and relational theories of corporate social responsibility

Concepts and theories of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been examined and classified by scholars since the mid‐1970s. However, owing to the evolving meaning of CSR and the huge number of scholars who have begun to analyze the issue in recent years fresh efforts are needed to understand new developments. Since there is a great heterogeneity of theories and approaches, the task remains a very hard one, mainly because heterogeneity derives from multi‐disciplinary diversity. The criterion for selection is to consider the role that theorists confer to the firm. Following this idea, three groups of theories have been discerned: (1) the utilitarian group, in which the corporation is intended as a maximizing ‘black box’ where problems of externalities and social costs emerge; (2) the managerial category, where problems of responsibility are approached from inside the firm (internal perspective); (3) relational theories, or those in which the type of relations between the firm and the environment are at the center of the analysis. The three perspectives allow the reader to understand the most significant differences between the various theories of CSR. The objective is to classify the theories and to draw a map in which group specificities can be made available. This allows scholars to reach a better understanding of corporate–society relations, and enhances developments both in theoretical and empirical terms.     

Forecasting Macroeconomic Variables Under Model Instability

We compare different approaches to accounting for parameter instability in the context of macroeconomic forecasting models that assume either small, frequent changes versus models whose parameters exhibit large, rare changes. An empirical out-of-sample forecasting exercise for U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) growth and inflation suggests that models that allow for parameter instability generate more accurate density forecasts than constant-parameter models although they fail to produce better point forecasts. Model combinations deliver similar gains in predictive performance although they fail to improve on the predictive accuracy of the single best model, which is a specification that allows for time-varying parameters and stochastic volatility. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.     

Relationship,Social, and Individual Well-Being in Italian Male Same-Sex Couples

This study aimed at investigating Italian male same-sex couples’ attitudes, behaviors, and emotions regarding their own well-being. The study involved included 60 couples, and utilized semistructured interview and subsequent content analysis based on Grounded Theory methods. Findings identified several themes, including recurrent high relationship quality; frequent rejection by members of the family of origin, especially the mother, contrasted by strong support from the “family of choice”; perception of stereotypes and prejudices against same-sex relationships; and feelings of non-acceptance by Italian society, reflected by the lack of sociocultural and legal support and recognition. Despite these difficulties, many of these Italian gay men were able to form durable and satisfying relationships with high levels of well-being.     

Aging society,health and the environment

In a general-equilibrium OLG model with endogenous longevity, a political economy and a social planner solution are contrasted mainly with respect to public supplies of health care and environment protection. The latter is relatively more supported by the young because its beneficial effect on longevity takes more time to occur but then lasts longer; while the old relatively prefer health spending. With population aging, political claims for health care expenditure are self-reinforcing. This framework is able to generate a quite rich set of results. In the political economy larger health care/consumption and health care/environmental quality ratios are implemented. Changes in risk aversion, production pollution, health inputs’ elasticity of substitution may have opposite impacts across regimes. More complete annuity markets improve welfare. Further comparative statics is analyzed.     

Initial agronomic performances of Mediterranean xerophytes in simulated dry green roofs

The growing desire to make the urban environment more sustainable from an ecological point of view has stimulated research on the architectural and agronomic aspects of green roofs. The practical realisation of green roofs, is however limited by economic and ecological issues. More specifically, water availability is the most limiting factor, and is likely to be ever more so in the future in the light of climate change. For this reason, we evaluated the agronomic performance of several xerophytes in a simulated dry green roof. Seeds of 20 species were collected in typically dry habitats (abandoned quarries, rocky soils, dunes, etc.) and studied in the laboratory for germination ecology. In cases of strong dormancy, methods were tested to stimulate germination and their germination ecology was studied. The resulting seedlings were transplanted in spring 2008 in two green roof types that differ in substrate depth (150 and 200 mm) made up of lapil, pumice, zeolites and peat, resting on a drainage layer of hydroperlite. Temperature and humidity in the substrate and drainage layer were measured during the whole test period. Survival of the seedlings in both substrate depths was almost 100%, favoured by a rainy spring. Most of the tested species showed an excellent performance during the hot and dry summer months in terms of survival rates, growth, and vegetation cover dynamics, notwithstanding the difficult ecological conditions (temperatures around 50°C; hydric potential Ψ -15 bars). Furthermore, most of the species had a long flowering stage in the first year of growth. Plants in the green roof with the deeper substrate depth produced, for most of the tested taxa, a significantly higher vegetation cover and growth compared to when they were placed in the 150 mm substrate. The results of this study show that some Mediterranean xerophytes have biological characteristics suitable for their use in dry green roofs, although an irrigation system for emergency use seems advisable. To conclude, further research should focus on long term evaluation of green roof vegetation in terms of plant survival and flowering dynamics.     

Investigating the exploitative and empowering potential of the prosumption phenomenon

This article underscores the increasing attention devoted to the concept of prosumption in the social sciences, outlines its historical evolution as a phenomenon, and highlights the emergence of a vivid debate about its beneficial or harmful consequences for individuals. It also unveils the importance of the settings in which prosumptive practices are investigated in contributing to the understanding of prosumption as an exploitative or empowering phenomenon. Drawing on the ever‐expanding literature on the topic, 5 main types of prosumption (infra) are presented and their linkage with pessimistic and optimistic analytical and rhetorical strategies underlined.