A robust logistic discrimination model

Logistic discrimination is a well documented method for classifying observations to two or more groups. However, estimation of the discriminant rule can be seriously affected by outliers. To overcome this, Cox and Ferry produced a robust logistic discrimination technique. Although their method worked in practice, parameter estimation was sometimes prone to convergence problems. This paper proposes a simplified robust logistic model which does not have any such problems and which takes a generalized linear model form. Misclassification rates calculated in a simulation exercise are used to compare the new method with ordinary logistic discrimination. Model diagnostics are also presented. The newly proposed model is then used on data collected from pregnant women at two district general hospitals. A robust logistic discriminant is calculated which can be used to predict accurately which method of feeding a woman will eventually use: breast feeding or bottle feeding.     

On the Contingent Valuation of Safety and the Safety of Contingent Valuation: Part 2 - The CV/SG "Chained" Approach

This article reports the results of a study aimed at estimating a willingness-to-pay based value of statistical life for road risks using a multi-stage approach which involves "chaining together" responses to contingent valuation and standard gamble questions.The rationale for employing a multi-stage approach is to break the wealth/risk of death trade-off down into a number of conceptually manageable steps, thereby trying to attenuate the various biases that appear to be pervasive in responses to more direct contingent valuation questions in the health and safety field.     

Canadian Indian migrants and impression management of ethnic stigma*

Les migrants indiens au Canada croient que la catégorie sociale «Indien» les déprécie auprès des Blancs. Par conséquent, ils essayent de contrôler l'image qu'ils projettent de leur identité dans leurs relations avec les Blancs. Soit qu'ils ne révèlent pas leur identité indienne, ou soit qu'ils avouent être d'origine indienne, tout en prenant des mesures afin d'éviter le discrédit. Cette étude concentre sur les stratégies employées par les Indiens pour contrôler les impressions qu'on a d'eux et sur la relation entre le type de stratégic et le type de réseau d'amis. Canadian Indian migrants feel that the social category ‘Indian’ is a discrediting one among whites. Accordingly, migrants act to control their image of Indian self during interaction with whites. They either suppress an Indian identification, or else admit to being an Indian but take steps to avoid discreditation. This paper focuses on the impression management strategies involved and relates type of strategy to type of friendship network.     

'Self-referenced' relative deprivation and economic beliefs: the effects of the recession in Alberta*

Dans cette communication, les auteurs examinent un modèle théorique selon lequel le sentiment de vivre une privation relative joue un rôle important dans la traduction de l'expérience de difficultés économiques en une 'idéologie économique' plus à gauche sur le spectre des options politiques. Les données de l'enquête révèlent que les Albertains qui ont dû réduire leurs dépenses en raison de la récession du milieu des années 1980 avaient effectivement plus tendance à s'associer à des énoncés affirmant la nécessité d'une redistribution de la richesse au sein de la société. Ces relations ont été observées chez des répondants appartenant à la classe ouvrière mais non chez des répondants appartenant à la classe moyenne .
This paper tests a theoretical model proposing that feelings of relative deprivation play an important part in translating the experience of economic hard times into more left-leaning economic beliefs. Survey data reveal that Albertans who had been forced to cut back on expenditures because of the recession of the mid-1980s were more likely to agree with statements about the need for a redistribution of wealth in society. This pattern of relationships was observed among members of the working class but not within the middle class .