Robust inequality comparisons

This paper is concerned with the problem of ranking Lorenz curves in situations where the Lorenz curves intersect and no unambiguous ranking can be attained without introducing weaker ranking criteria than first-degree Lorenz dominance. To deal with such situations, Aaberge (Soc Choice Welf 33:235–259, 2009) introduced two alternative sequences of nested dominance criteria for Lorenz curves, which proved to characterize two separate systems of nested subfamilies of inequality measures. This paper uses the obtained characterization results to arrange the members of two different generalized Gini families of inequality measures into subfamilies according to their relationship to Lorenz dominance of various degrees. Since the various criteria of higher degree Lorenz dominance provide convenient computational methods, these results can be used to identify the largest subfamily of the generalized Gini families, and thus the least restrictive social preferences, required to reach unambiguous ranking of a set of Lorenz curves. We further show that the weight-functions of the members of the generalized Gini families offer intuitive interpretations of higher degree Lorenz dominance, which generally has been viewed as difficult to interpret because they involve assumptions about third and higher derivatives. To demonstrate the usefulness of these methods for empirical applications, we examine the time trend in income and earnings inequality of Norwegian males during the period 1967–2005.     

Design considerations for a theory-driven exergame-based rehabilitation program to improve walking of persons with stroke

Virtual rehabilitation approaches for promoting motor recovery has attracted considerable attention in recent years. It appears to be a useful tool to provide beneficial and motivational rehabilitation conditions. Following a stroke, hemiparesis is one of the most disabling impairments and, therefore, many affected people often show substantial deficits in walking abilities. Hence, one of the major goals of stroke rehabilitation is to improve patients' gait characteristics and hence to regain their highest possible level of walking ability. Because previous studies indicate a relationship between walking and balance ability, this article proposes a stroke rehabilitation program that targets balance impairments to improve walking in stroke survivors. Most currently, available stroke rehabilitation programs lack a theory-driven, feasible template consistent with widely accepted motor learning principles and theories in rehabilitation. To address this hiatus, we explore the potential of a set of virtual reality games specifically developed for stroke rehabilitation and ordered according to an established two-dimensional motor skill classification taxonomy. We argue that the ensuing “exergame”-based rehabilitation program warrants individually tailored balance progression in a learning environment that allows variable practice and hence optimizes the recovery of walking ability.     

Dying for charisma: Leaders' inspirational appeal increases post-mortem

In the present research, we shed light on the nature and origins of charisma by examining changes in a person's perceived charisma that follow their death. We propose that death is an event that will strengthen the connection between the leader and the group they belong to, which in turn will increase perceptions of leaders' charisma. In Study 1, results from an experimental study show that a scientist who is believed to be dead is regarded as more charismatic than the same scientist believed to be alive. Moreover, this effect was accounted for by people's perceptions that the dead scientist's fate is more strongly connected with the fate of the groups that they represent. In Study 2, a large-scale archival analysis of Heads of States who died in office in the 21st century shows that the proportion of published news items about Heads of State that include references to charisma increases significantly after their death. These results suggest that charisma is, at least in part, a social inference that increases after death. Moreover, they suggest that social influence and inspiration can be understood as products of people's capacity to embody valued social groups.     

Unkonventionelle Politische Partizipation Im Zeitverlauf

A turning away from politics is bemoaned from different sides in democracies. Did the educational reforms in the 1960s, which included the aim of promoting political engagement and educating people to politically mature citizens, failed in this attempt? The paper deals with the question, if educational expansion actually led to a political mobilisation that is characterized by a rising importance of unconventional political participation. By use of cumulated ALLBUS data-sets (1988–2000), at first background mechanisms that are behind the link between education and political participation will be explored to analyze unconventional political participation in temporal perspective. Longitudinal analyses will be carried out including a simultaneous estimation of age, period and cohort effect. Results show constant effects of the educational level. There is evidence indicating a political mobilisation. The more-highly educated people turn out to be the main supporter of this process, whereas the less educated people kept their distinction regarding a low participation level over time.     

THEORY-BASED MEASUREMENT OF THE SAVING-INVESTMENT CORRELATION WITH AN APPLICATION TO NORWAY

The work of Feldstein and Horioka has stimulated much research on the correlations of national savings and investment rates and their relation to the degree of international capital mobility. Theory implies a cointegrating relation between these variables, which suggests this correlation is measured best by an error correction model. This model includes all previous specifications as special cases, which we show are potentially misspeced on theoretical grounds. Applied to Norway, our model outperforms prevailing specifications. We detect structural breaks, and find the correlation's time profile is consistent with other indicators of capital mobility.