The assessment of tumour response to treatment

Summary.  A parsimonious model for treated tumours is developed as a continuation of our previous work on regrowth curve theory. The statistical model belongs to the family of marginal non-linear models since the only linear parameters of the model are tumour specific and random facilitating parameter estimation. An important feature of the model is that it enables the estimation of the fraction of cancer cells surviving the treatment in vivo having easy-to-obtain longitudinal measurements of tumour volume. We compare several methods of estimation, including Lindstrom–Bates, iterated reweighted least squares and maximum likelihood. The last two methods are computed via the total estimating equations approach and variance least squares. The theory is illustrated with a photodynamic tumour therapy example.     

An Empirical Approach to Supervision and Training of Relationship Therapists

This paper presents an empirical approach to supervision and training of marriage and family therapists. Advantages from the use of the empirical approach include a systematic investigation of the skills and competencies of the therapist and establishing the basis for the scientific study of supervision. A Counseling Problems Worksheet is presented to help in developing multiple hypothesis related to counselor skill deficiencies. Two case studies are given to demonstrate the use of the empirical approach .     

Women,Karate, and Gender Typing*

When women have the physical ability to overcome men, a major basis of cognitive categorization is violated and dissonance created. Two dissonance-resolving mechanisms take place-derision and denial. A study of women trained in Karate¹ provided an opportunity to examine these dissonance-reducing mechanisms. Results from fieldwork and questionnaires administered to both participants in Karate and a sample of students reveal that dissonace created by women's skills is most often resolved by denying skill. rather than by denigration of the woman's self. Field observations suggest that a psychology of tokenism operates; men discount women's achievement presumably gained by satisfying gender-independent criteria.     

A Recursive Formula for the Probability of Occurrence of at Least m out of N Events

A recursive same-sign relation is derived that reduces the probability of occurrence of at least m out of N independent events to the probability of occurrence of at least m out of N ? 1 of these N events.     

Meta-cognition and resistance to political persuasion: evidence from a three-wave panel study

ABSTRACT

We investigate the temporal course of meta-cognition and resistance processes following exposure to counter-attitudinal information in the 2012 Presidential election. Using a unique 3-wave survey panel design, we tracked eligible voters during the last months of the 2012 campaign and experimentally manipulated exposure to negative political messages targeting Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on an online platform. As predicted, we found that politically unengaged (vs. engaged) individuals were less likely to counter-argue a message attacking their favored candidate. Resistance, in turn, led to increased attitudinal certainty, polarization, and correspondence with actual voting behavior over the course of the campaign. These findings provide the first analysis of the longitudinal effects of meta-cognitive processes underlying persuasion for real-world attitude change and behavior.     

Predicting Whistle Blowing: A Theory of Reasoned Action Approach

Fishbein and Ajzen's Reasoned Action model was used to predict intention to blow the whistle. Accounting students attending an Israeli university and accountant practitioners were used as the subjects for the study. It was hypothesized that attitudes and social norms would directly explain intention, while professional obligation, locus of control and professional socialization would modify the criterion variable through attitudes and social norms. Findings showed that social norms directly influenced intent to blow the whistle among both samples, as hypothesized. However, locus of control and professional socialization also directly influenced intent, rather than modifying the criterion variable. Suggestions for further research are included.     

Urban versus Rural: Fertility Decline in the Cities and Rural Districts of Prussia, 1875 to 1910

Marital fertility in 54 Prussian cities and 407 Prussian Kreise (administrative areas) is analyzed using unusually rich and detailed socioeconomic and demographic data from eight quinquennial census between 1875 and 1910. Pooled cross-section time series methods are used to examine influences on marital fertility level and on marital fertility decline, focusing particularly on fertility differences according to level of urbanization. Increases in female labour force participation rate and income, the growth of financial services and communications, improvement in education, and reduction in infant mortality account for most of the marital fertility decline in 19th century Prussia. In 1875, rural and urban fertility were similar but by 1910, urban fertility was far lower than rural in part because the values of some of these variables changed more rapidly in the cities, and in part because some of these variables had stronger effects in urban settings.