An exploratory analysis of composite choices: Weighing rationality versus irrationality

Humans are engineered neurologically to make rational and irrational choices. This paper introduces a new paradigm for decision making – a composite choice model – in which economic agents are constantly weighing rationality versus irrationality when encountering options. In an exploratory, deterministic, two-period model, an assumption of a two-way cross-embedment (i.e., a two-way interaction between the rational and irrational components) results in a paradoxical phenomenon, an outcome of either tending toward bliss or abyss at the end of the first period. This implies, for instance, a psychological struggle between two selves within the mind. The paradigm proposed is compared to the dual-process theories recently developed by the cognitive sciences. Future research will explore implications for public policy design and implementation.     

Identifiable finite mixtures of location models for clustering mixed-mode data

For clustering mixed categorical and continuous data, Lawrence and Krzanowski (1996) proposed a finite mixture model in which component densities conform to the location model. In the graphical models literature the location model is known as the homogeneous Conditional Gaussian model. In this paper it is shown that their model is not identifiable without imposing additional restrictions. Specifically, for g groups and m locations, (g!)m–1 distinct sets of parameter values (not including permutations of the group mixing parameters) produce the same likelihood function. Excessive shrinkage of parameter estimates in a simulation experiment reported by Lawrence and Krzanowski (1996) is shown to be an artifact of the model's non-identifiability. Identifiable finite mixture models can be obtained by imposing restrictions on the conditional means of the continuous variables. These new identified models are assessed in simulation experiments. The conditional mean structure of the continuous variables in the restricted location mixture models is similar to that in the underlying variable mixture models proposed by Everitt (1988), but the restricted location mixture models are more computationally tractable.     

A survey of statistical methods on remote sensing in russian literature from 1976 to 1985

In this article we review the major areas of remote sensing in the Russian literature for the period 1976 to 1985 that use statistical methods to analyze the observed data. For each of the areas, the problems that have been studied and the statistical techniques that have been used are briefly described     

Anderson's classification statistic based on a post-stratified training sample

The performance of Anderson's classification statistic based on a post-stratified random sample is examined. It is assumed that the training sample is a random sample from a stratified population consisting of two strata with unknown stratum weights. The sample is first segregated into the two strata by post-stratification. The unknown parameters for each of the two populations are then estimated and used in the construction of the plug-in discriminant. Under this procedure, it is shown that additional estimation of the stratum weight will not seriously affect the performance of Anderson's classification statistic. Furthermore, our discriminant enjoys a much higher efficiency than the procedure based on an unclassified sample from a mixture of normals investigated by Ganesalingam and McLachlan (1978).     

The duration of unemployment in Russia

This paper uses longitudinal survey data to assess factors affecting the duration of unemployment in Russia. We examine four types of marginalised labour force participants, according to ILO guidelines and survey responses, and we estimate duration models for each type. It turns out that the sets of characteristics with the strongest effects on the duration are remarkably similar across the different unemployment definitions and model specifications. Therefore, despite the formidable practical measurement problems, problematic groups of individuals can actually be identified. Received: 27 January 1999/Accepted: 27 January 2000     

The Dutch people and the euro: A structural equations analysis relating national identity and economic expectations to attitude towards the euro

National identity, macro and micro economic expectations affect the attitude toward the euro. In a study in The Netherlands, data were collected and relationships between the latent concepts were modelled with LISREL. In the best fitting model, national identity has a direct and an indirect effect on attitude, respectively, an unstructured and a structured effect. The indirect effect is mediated by macro and micro expectations. Macro expectations also have a direct and an indirect effect. The indirect effect is mediated by micro expectations. On one hand, macro expectations form a strong link between national identity and attitude. On the other hand, macro expectations have a strong direct effect on attitudes. The euro is mainly perceived and evaluated in a macro-economic perspective.PsycINFO classification: 2229; 3920     

论毛泽东诗词的用典特色

运用典故,是我国古典诗词的传统表现手法,毛泽东同志继承和发扬了这一传统,在诗词创作中从不同角度以不同方式遣词造句、传情达意表现现实生活,大大增强了作品形象性和艺术感染力。探讨毛泽东用典特色,化用诗句、神话入诗和民谚民谣的使用。毛泽东的诗词用词风格与曹操、辛弃疾进行纵向比较,彰显出毛泽东使用典故的豪迈气魄。     

试论教育公平与社会分层

改革开放以来，我国的社会分层结构越来越复杂，以先赋地位为主的社会分层模式逐渐被以自致地位为主的分层模式所取代，分层的标准多元化和人格化改变了传统的“世袭”身份的保守倾向，特别是社会成员的权力、收入、声望和机会越来越取决于个人的受教育程度，这使人们对教育公平有了新的追求，即充分实现教育机会均等。文章重点分析了教育与社会分层之间的互动关系，并对如何实现城乡教育公平进行了探讨。     

外语学习策略研究中存在的主要问题及其对策

探讨了当前国内外外语学习策略研究中存在的一些主要问题,包括术语问题、分类问题、效度和信度问题、研究内容问题、研究方法问题和代表性问题,并针对这些问题提出了相应的对策.     

关于汉语熟语问题的讨论

俄国科学院语言研究所维特罗夫·巴维尔·巴夫罗维奇(Vetrov Pavel Pavlovich)先生来信询问汉语熟语各个类别的定义及划分标准问题,本文结合具体例子,提出熟语类别的划分应该采用基于原型的范畴理论,而不是经典的范畴化理论;并指出熟语的分类采用的并不是一维标准,而是多维标准.很多熟语的类别归属不是非此即彼,而是亦此亦彼.