Are gamblers more likely to commit crimes? An empirical analysis of a nationally representative survey of US young adults

We examine the relationship between gambling and criminal behaviour using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Our data set includes survey responses from 6145 young adults. The results of our empirical analysis are consistent with the gambling literature in which it is suggested that higher gambling losses increase the propensity to commit crime. This study complements the current literature, as our data and empirical analysis allow us to control for many variables that have been neglected in previous studies, including various forms of gambling. Our findings provide useful information on the general relationship between gambling behaviour and criminal behaviour.     

我国地方政府举债行为法治化研究

地方政府举债行为是各地政府经济行为的重要组成部分,其中隐性地方债务居于多数.在国务院放宽<预算法>的限制之后,虽然地方债务通过发行途径开始"名正言顺",但仍有一些游离于法治轨道之外的地方举债行为.如何规范地方政府的举债行为事关我国整个债务体系的建设管理,也可增进我国地方政府诚信力的提升.综合来看,地方政府的举债行为的法治化过程可以从举债权限、信息监控、多方监督几个方面进行,根本上规范地方政府的举债行为.     

The Interplay of Syndemic Production and Serosorting in Drug-Using Gay and Bisexual Men

The relationships between mental health, substance use, and sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men in a sample of 450 club drug-using men from New York City were examined using syndemics theory. Risk scores for each participant were based on variables measuring substance use and mental health burden. Participants with higher risk scores were significantly more likely to engage in risk behaviors. Risk taking was also explained by serosorting, suggesting that syndemics theory in and of itself, while significant in explaining risk, is not sufficient. These findings suggest we need to understand the interplay between social, emotional, and cognitive factors to understand sexual risk taking.     

Similarities in the Sexual Behavior and HIV Risk Factors of Colombian,Dominican, Mexican,and Puerto Rican MSM Residing in New York City

Abstract

In a sample of Colombian, Dominican, Mexican, and Puerto Rican men who have sex with men (MSM) (n = 307) living in New York City, we contrasted sexual behavior and a number of variables related to it. The four groups were consistently similar in terms of frequency of partnership types (men with lovers, one-night-stands, other partners), monogamy, types of sexual behaviors with men and women, number of occasions of different behaviors, condom use during sex, and history of childhood sexual abuse. The four groups also had similar scores in most of the psychosocial variables usually related to condom use. These similarities validate the clustering of these four populations under a common category (Latino or Hispanic) for reporting and prevention purposes. This does not imply, however, that small scale interventions tailored to the specific cultural nuances of different national groups may not have an added strength. In the few cases where intraethnic differences were found, Mexican MSM were more likely than men in the other groups to receive ejaculate both in the rectum and in the mouth. These differences were not accounted for by the other variables examined and requires further investigation.     

Measurement Issues in Human Behaviour Theory

Abstract

This paper provides a brief introduction to the use of standardized measurement scales in behavioural theory, discusses some of the limitations of the domain sampling model of measurement for behavioural scientists and practitioners, and identifies central measurement issues in behavioural theory that are germane to all measurement tools. The ever popular and useful behavioural checklist is used to introduce the domain sampling model of measurement and to describe how it can be treated as a standardized measurement tool.     

A Comparison of Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes,Self-Esteem,Quality of Life,and Drug Use Among Pornography Actors and a Matched Sample

ABSTRACT

The present study compared the self-reports of 105 porn actors to a sample of men matched on age, ethnicity, and marital status. Comparisons were conducted on sexual behaviors and attitudes, self-esteem, quality of life, and drug use. Porn actors’ first sex was at an earlier age, they had more sexual partners and a higher enjoyment of sex, they were more concerned about catching a sexually transmitted disease, and they were less likely to use a condom during a first-time sexual encounter compared with the matched sample, although there were no differences in incidence of childhood sexual abuse. In terms of psychological characteristics, porn actors had higher levels of self-esteem and quality-of-life indicators. Lastly, male performers were more likely to have used five different types of drugs compared with the comparison group during their lifetime and were more likely to have used marijuana during the past 6 months. These findings provide mixed support for stereotypes concerning male porn actors.     

Exploiting one’s power with a guilty conscience: An experimental investigation of self-serving biases

In our experimental investigation powerful managers use their discretion power to their own advantage and admit that their behavior is unfair. This contradicts studies stressing self-serving biases. Self-serving biases are often identified by asking people what fairness standards apply in situations with alternative income distributions. Nevertheless, when the response to a question is connected with a distributional decision, only the reply, but not necessarily the fairness standard, is biased. Social preference models envisage decisions as a compromise between self-interest and social concerns (norms). A model-based estimation of social concerns, as provided by this paper, is capable of identifying different sorts of self-serving biases. Higher income triggers higher fairness scores, but there are no indications that a relatively higher income compared to the peers is generally perceived as fairer than a relatively lower income.     

Exploring the underpinnings of impaired strategic decision-making under stress

The present study sought to examine the underpinnings of impaired strategic decision-making under stress. In contrast to previous laboratory-based research, we conducted a quasi-experiment in a real life stress situation. Specifically, we used the beauty contest game and compared the performance of a group of participants who were exposed to a real-life stressor (waiting to attend an exam at a university class) with a control group of participants who were not exposed to stress (waiting to attend a regular lecture at a university class). Furthermore, about half of the participants were instructed to write down what they believed another participant had assumed the average number in the beauty contest game to be and which target number she (or he) had chosen accordingly. The results showed that stress impaired strategic reasoning in the beauty contest game. Importantly, even when only including participants who understood the rules of the game in the analyses, stress still increased the numbers chosen in the beauty contest. Furthermore, we found that participants in the stress condition were significantly less likely to base their chosen number on their belief about other players’ choices. Hence, stress not only impairs understanding of the math behind the beauty contest game but also the degree of strategizing per se.     

“统合治理”： 地方政府经营行为的一种理论解释

“统合治理”是指地方政府在城市化过程中利用公司化平台进行经营性运作的治理模式。“统合治理”模式下,政治机制、行政机制与公司化经营机制的联结成为地方政府权力运行模式的主要特征,项目平台公司成为承载权力运行的典型组织化治理工具,并进而实现了外部资源汲取能力的提升及内部资源整合能力的强化这两方面的权力扩张。我国地方政府普遍采用“统合治理”模式推动开发区建设和城市基础设施建设,并取得了显著绩效。但这种治理模式也面临着权力冲突与合法性问题,其未来走向取决于地方政府在集权权力结构下对中央绩效压力回应策略的选择。