Mobility, information, and bequest: The “other side” of the equal division puzzle

There is substantial evidence that parental bequests to children are typically equal in the US—a regularity inconsistent with the predictions of standard bequest models. The prior explanation for this puzzle is parents’ desire to signal equal affection given children’s incomplete information of parental preferences. However, parents also have incomplete information regarding children preferences—which has not been considered. Using a strategic bequest framework, we show that when parents have sufficient uncertainty regarding children’s relocation returns, a separating equilibrium where parents reward attentive heirs with larger bequests is precluded. Such uncertainty appears consistent with conditions in the contemporary USA.     

The Complexities of Change in the Psychotherapy of Serious Mental Illness: A Practitioner’s Reflections

The sweeping revisions in the understanding of major mental illness brought about by the biological revolution in psychiatry moved the spotlight away from the treatment relationship. In recent years, however, a resurgence of interest in subjectivity underscored the fact that despite dramatic scientific breakthroughs the existential realities of illness were largely unaltered. Even with this shift in inquiry, however, little attention was shown to the inner experience of practitioners engaged in long-term therapeutic relationships where movement of any kind was barely detectable. Clinicians and clients alike frequently travel a long and difficult road in search of pathways to recovery. Tracing their shared journey through a detailed case presentation illuminates the interior worlds of both travelers and illustrates that neither is left untouched by the complexities of change.     

The dynamic,complex and diverse living and care arrangements of young New Zealanders: implications for policy

The living arrangements of young people in New Zealand are diverse and often complex. In this article we report the range of care and living arrangements of 209 15-year-old New Zealanders, 47 of whom identified as Māori. These young people were participants in the second generation of a cohort study. Data were collected from their parents via a life history calendar and analysed for variety and consistency of care arrangements, household membership and transitions. Few participants had a consistent pattern of parental care arrangements and most had experienced multiple changes in household composition and frequent changes of address. We conclude that the whānau/family lives of many young New Zealanders are complex and dynamic. These observations contrast with the conventional notions of family life that form the basis for New Zealand’s family policies. We argue that social policies and services impacting on young people need to reflect the lived reality of young people if they are to meet young people’s needs.     

Dimensions of Job Quality,Mechanisms, and Subjective Well‐Being in the United States

How does job quality predict subjective well‐being in the United States? Prior research suggests that various job quality dimensions such as job security and individual task discretion affect subjective well‐being, but the theoretical mechanisms are implied rather than tested and aspects of job quality are rarely tested together. I use structural equation modeling and General Social Survey data to assess the impact of five job quality dimensions—individual task discretion, monetary compensation, job security, low work intensity, and safe work conditions—on subjective well‐being. Then, I show that job quality influences subjective well‐being by improving social life, altering class identification, affecting physical health, and increasing amounts of leisure time. Finally, while I find that job quality dimensions do have statistically significant effects on subjective well‐being, the way in which job quality affects subjective well‐being differs by job dimension. In other words, job quality has a statistically significant impact on subjective well‐being, but different job quality domains are connected to subjective well‐being in different ways.     

Baseline Risk and Preference for Reductions in Risk-to-Life

The typical model of individual attitudes toward risk-to-life suggests that an individual's willingness to pay for a reduction in mortality risk increases with the baseline risk. The higher-baseline hypothesis has been the subject of several empirical tests but results have so far been mixed. Using survey evidence, we present a situation in which subjects do prefer to reduce risks for which the baseline is higher. This finding is robust to several alternative explanations. Survey responses reflect subjects'concerns about government effectiveness in risk reduction, environmental effects associated with the various hazards, and other idiosyncratic elements of the risks; however, these concerns appear to occur in addition to, not in lieu of, the preference to reduce higher risks.     

The engagement game

Engagement is a costly social institution for which virtually no economic analysis exists. We explore the information gathering function of engagement in a game with a proposer who offers a long or short engagement, and a respondent, who may reject the proposal at various stages. Whether the proposer is a suitable match is uncertain, but a long engagement yields information with which the respondent can update prior probabilities. We consider pooling, separating and mixed strategy equilibria and relate our findings to the evolving institution of engagement and institutional circumstances that will improve its efficiency in generating successful matches.All correspondence to Amy Farmer. Responsible editor: Alessandro Cigno.