Developing a Social Capital Index for the Netherlands

This paper integrates a set of independent social capital indicators into one index by using structural equation modeling (SEM) based on partial least squares estimation (PLS). The social capital index consists of two dimensions: participation and trust. In each of the two dimensions, three levels are distinguished: social (micro), organizational (meso), and political (macro). The main objectives of the index are to: (1) provide a coherent overview of social capital in the Netherlands; (2) monitor social capital over time; and (3) compare subpopulations. A broad spectrum of indicators is included, however, these are only weakly correlated and consequently treated as distinct. Therefore, traditional index development methods such as factor analysis and reflective modeling cannot be applied. Consequently, formative modeling in which the indicators are specified as causes rather than as effects is used. We employ the Permanent Survey on Living Conditions 2009 (POLS), administered face-to-face to 7,560 respondents in the Netherlands. We find that the index predicts well-being and health, which demonstrates nomological validity. Subsequently, bootstrapping is conducted to test the robustness of the index. And the 2009 index is replicated based on the 2010 POLS data. The replication shows that the 2009 model is relatively stable and results are robust. Finally, the model is extended by including volunteering and informal help, which changes the model but the results remain largely the same. This index, which is shown to be valid and robust, contributes to a further understanding of the concept of social capital.     

Statistical mining of interesting association rules

This article utilizes stochastic ideas for reasoning about association rule mining, and provides a formal statistical view of this discipline. A simple stochastic model is proposed, based on which support and confidence are reasonable estimates for certain probabilities of the model. Statistical properties of the corresponding estimators, like moments and confidence intervals, are derived, and items and itemsets are observed for correlations. After a brief review of measures of interest of association rules, with the main focus on interestingness measures motivated by statistical principles, two new measures are described. These measures, called α- and σ-precision, respectively, rely on statistical properties of the estimators discussed before. Experimental results demonstrate the effectivity of both measures.     

Displeasure at plurality and fear of strangers? An empirical study among youth in Germany and the Netherlands

A comparison between the Netherlands and Germany concerning religious, cultural and ethnic plurality provides interesting insights. Germany has never defined itself as a multicultural society, as was historically the case in the Netherlands. The outcomes of the research are somewhat surprising. Dutch pupils – especially boys – are more negative about plurality than their German contemporaries are. Belonging to a church in Germany appears to be connected to a positive attitude to migrants, while in the Netherlands this is not important at all.     

Set and revealed preference axioms for multi-valued choice

Theory and Decision - We consider choice correspondences that assign a subset to every choice set of alternatives, where the total set of alternatives is an arbitrary finite or infinite set. We...     

Needed but Not Liked – The Impact of Labor Market Policies on Natives’ Opinions about Immigrants

This article builds on the notion that immigrants’ integration into the labor market benefits migrants and shapes natives’ opinions about immigrants. Using insights from the newest literature on labor immigration and drawing upon the literature on attitudes toward immigrants, the article explores in a multilevel design the impact that regulations in the EU member states concerning immigrants’ access to domestic labor markets have on threat perceptions and on opinions about immigrants’ economic role. It finds that labor market regulations have a positive effect on opinions about immigrants’ economic role and reduce the negative relationships between precarious labor market status and opinions about the economic role. However, a robust effect of labor market regulations on threat perceptions was not found. Our results imply that labor market incorporation rules need to be accompanied by other measures to close the gap between natives and immigrants.     

Reviews and abstracts

Dalsace, Jean, and Dourlen Rollier, Anne‐Marie. L'Avortement. Tournai: Casterman, 1970.

Goldman, George D. and Milman, Donald S. Modern Woman: Her Psychology and Sexuality. Charles C Thomas, Publisher, Springfield, Ill. 1969, xviii + 275 pages.

Hartman, William E., Fithian, Marilyn and Johnson, Donald. Nudist Society. An Authoritative, Complete Study of Nudism in America. Illustrated. Crown Publishers, Inc. New York, 1970, 432 pp.

Huhphreys, Laud. Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Co. 180 pages. Price: $5.95.

Legman, G. Oragenitalism. Oral Techniques in Genital Excitation. New York: Julian Press, 1969. 319 pages. Price §15.00     

„Lola rennt“ oder: „es hätte auch anders kommen können“ – Über den Möglichkeitsraum gruppendynamischer Intervention

A group of eight Trainers for Groupdynamic analyzed their interventions as trainers of Sensitivity-Groups during the last seven years. They used the methodological approach of Sequential Analysis and the model of the groupdynamic space (Amann, Gruppenprozesse verste-hen, 2001, S. 28). This model combines the three elementary polarities shaping the dynamic in T-Groups: belonging (in or out), power (up or down) and nearness (near or far) and supposes that these three polarities form a kind of dynamical “group-space” in which the three dimensions are simultaneously effective. Thus this model avoids a hydraulic understanding of group processes. Taking into account the model of groupdynamical space the group analyzed Trainer-interventions and asked which alternative intervention could have been possible to underline another dimension of the space. In the analysis of interventions they pointed out which of the three dimensions the trainer-intervention was focussing, which consequences this decision had for the group-process and they asked hypothetically which effects another strategy of intervention could have had. Every intervention is the consequence of a particular interpretation of the current group situation. And each decision could have been taken differently by bringing the attention towards another dimension of the groupdynamical space. This is the core-idea of this essay. Years ago a german movie was released with the title “Lola rennt” and it showed three variations of one moment with three entirely different show downs. This idea inspired us to choose the same titel for our reflections about the practice and richness of groupdynamical interventions. This essay is meant as a contribution to a “second order Groupdynamic” which is interested more in the way trainers perceive group processes than in the theory of the group-process itself.     

E-Coaching: Prozess- und Ergebnisevaluation des„Virtuellen Zielerreichungscoachings“

The authors present the design and first results of an ongoing research project. The main emphasis of the research lies on observable and mental processes of the coach and the coachee in and between coaching sessions as well as for the coachee after the coaching. The research is based on a particular e-coaching format named “virtual goal attainment coaching”, consisting of telephone-based coaching sessions combined with by internet mediated questions that the coachee answers with support of the coach. The ambition of this particular type of coaching, since based on empirical findings of coaching success factors and combined with modern media, is to generate excellent results within a short amount of time. Preliminary findings confirm the efficiency and effectiveness of this blended coaching program.