Bayesian utilitarianism and probability homogeneity

This paper investigates, within the axiomatic framework of Jeffrey-Bolker decision theory, two kinds of conditions and the relation between them: (1) The Utilitarian condition that social rankings of prospects be representable by an expected utility function that is a weighted sum of the expected utility functions representing individual rankings; and (2) Homogeneity conditions on the probabilities and preferences of individuals. In particular, we show that identity of individuals’ probabilities is necessary and sufficient for the Utilitarian condition to hold and that the homogeneity of individuals’ probabilities can be derived from a Pareto condition on the relation between individual and social rankings, provided that these rankings are separable in a particular sense.This paper has considerably benefited from comments by John Broome, Isaac Levi and an anonymous referee. Special thanks to Philippe Mongin who provided encouragement, help and careful criticism throughout the development of this paper.     

In Memoriam: Frank Wilcoxon

A mosaic is a graphical display of cross-classified data in which each count is represented by a rectangle of area proportional to the count. The positions and sides of the rectangles are set to encourage comparisons between counts in the figures. Mosaics are useful for discovering unusually high or small counts and for discovering dependencies between variables. In principle, mosaics may be used for any number of cross-classifying variables, but six seems to be a practical maximum. A mosaic is given for a four-way classification of Nielsen ratings.     

Influence of Satisfaction with Services on Assisted Living Resident Satisfaction

The purpose of our investigation was to provide insight into the service domains that most heavily influenced self-reported resident satisfaction among residents in assisted living facilities. Data was gathered from the 2008 Press Ganey Assisted Living Survey. Satisfaction with service domains was measured using 7 subscales addressing the areas of activities, staff attentiveness, meals, apartment space, facility attractiveness, personal issues, and management. Generalized linear mixed models were specified to assess the influence of demographics, functional status, self-rated health, and satisfaction with service domains on resident satisfaction. In the final multivariate model self-rated health, independence with laundry and finances, and satisfaction with aides, meals and management demonstrated a significant positive effect on resident satisfaction. As the number of assisted living facilities continues to increase, senior management would be wise to consider which domains of service are particularly salient in assisted living environments.     

Screening young people in the juvenile justice system for behavioral & substance abuse disorders

There is a wide variation in viewpoints regarding screening youth in the juvenile justice system for behavioral and substance abuse disorders. No consensus exists within and among local, state, and federal juvenile justice officials regarding the necessity of screening youth for behavioral and substance abuse disorders. Local, state, and federal juvenile justice officials voiced concern regarding screening young people for behavioral and substance abuse disorders without having available funding or facilities for diagnosis and treatment.     

The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Young Adult Provision on Childbearing: Evidence From Tax Data

We use panel U.S. tax data spanning 2008–2013 to study the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) young adult provision on an important demographic outcome: childbearing. The impact is theoretically ambiguous: gaining insurance may increase access to contraceptive services while also reducing the out-of-pocket costs of childbirth. Because employer-reported U.S. Wage and Tax Statements (W-2 forms) record access to employer-provided benefits, we can examine the impact of the coverage expansion by focusing on young adults whose parents have access to benefits. We compare those who are slightly younger than the age threshold with those who are slightly older. Our results suggest that the ACA young adult provision led to a modest decrease in childbearing.     

“How Could I Have Done This?” Thoughts of Mothers of Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Biological mothers of children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) must cope with the struggles of parenting a child with special needs with the knowledge that their children’s problems are due to their alcohol use during pregnancy. Qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone with 11 biological mothers of children with FAS. This group of mothers understood their use of alcohol during pregnancy through reliance on the disease model, inaccurate or incomplete knowledge of the consequences of drinking during pregnancy, the advice of others, and a lack of awareness of the pregnancy.     

How leader humility helps teams to be humbler,psychologically stronger,and more effective: A moderated mediation model

We hypothesize that (a) the level of humility expressed by leaders predicts team performance through, serially, team humility and team PsyCap, and (b) the strength (i.e., consensus within the team) of the leader humility, team humility and team PsyCap moderates the paths of that hypothesized model. A sample comprising 82 teams (82 leaders; 332 team members) was collected. Team members reported leader humility, team humility and team PsyCap. Leaders reported team performance. To handle the risks of common method bias, each mediating path of the hypothesized model is based on data from two different subsamples within each team. Our model's most novel theoretical contribution is the (moderated mediated) connection between leader humility, collective humility, and team PsyCap, and this was consistently supported in our data. Our inconsistent findings dealing with the relationship between team PsyCap and performance is well established in the literature and our results in both sub-samples were in the theorized direction. The study contributes to understand why, how and when humble leaders are more effective.     

Community Cleavages: Gay and Bisexual Men’s Perceptions of Gay and Mainstream Community Acceptance in the Post-AIDS,Post-Rights Era

Changes in gay and bisexual men’s connectedness to the gay community are related to the declining public visibility of HIV/AIDS and greater acceptance for homosexuality and bisexuality in mainstream society. Little work, however, has focused on perceived acceptance for subgroups within the gay community or broader society. Using interviews (n = 20) and a survey (n = 202) of gay and bisexual men in a mid-sized Canadian city, we find perceived hierarchies of acceptance for the various subgroups as well as an age effect wherein middle-aged men perceive the least acceptance for all groups. These differences are linked with the uneven impact of social, political, and institutional changes relevant to gay and bisexual men in Canada.