Recent and classical goodness-of-fit tests for the Poisson distribution

We give a critical synopsis of classical and recent tests for Poissonity, our emphasis being on procedures which are consistent against general alternatives. Two classes of weighted Cramér–von Mises type test statistics, based on the empirical probability generating function process, are studied in more detail. Both of them generalize already known test statistics by introducing a weighting parameter, thus providing more flexibility with regard to power against specific alternatives. In both cases, we prove convergence in distribution of the statistics under the null hypothesis in the setting of a triangular array of rowwise independent and identically distributed random variables as well as consistency of the corresponding test against general alternatives. Therefore, a sound theoretical basis is provided for the parametric bootstrap procedure, which is applied to obtain critical values in a large-scale simulation study. Each of the tests considered in this study, when implemented via the parametric bootstrap method, maintains a nominal level of significance very closely, even for small sample sizes. The procedures are applied to four well-known data sets.     

Security or insecurity? Representations of the UK border in public and policy discourses

This article analyses representations of the UK border (in relation to migration) in UK public and policy discourses. It uses methods from corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis to compare the two discursive domains. A 26 million-word corpus of policy documentation and British newspaper articles published between 2007 and 2014 is examined using the analysis tool Sketch Engine and applying qualitative concordance analysis. The analysis reveals a key difference between the two domains: while the UK border is represented as a security concept in the policy corpus, the corpus of the public newspaper domain frequently and saliently represents the UK border as a concept dominated by insecurity. The article argues that the discursive label of European Union has played a role in contributing to this difference.     

Testing for spherical symmetry via the empirical characteristic function

Kolmogorov–Smirnov-type and Cramér–von Mises-type goodness-of-fit tests are proposed for the null hypothesis that the distribution of a random vector X is spherically symmetric. The test statistics utilize the fact that X has a spherical symmetric distribution if, and only if, the characteristic function of X is constant over surfaces of spheres centred at the origin. Both tests come in convenient forms that are straightforwardly applicable with the computer. The asymptotic null distribution of the test statistics as well as the consistency of the tests is investigated under general conditions. Since both the finite sample and the asymptotic null distribution depend on the unknown distribution of the Euclidean norm of X, a conditional Monte Carlo procedure is used to actually carry out the tests. Results on the behaviour of the test in finite-samples are included along with a real-data example.     

The child in child protection: Invisible and unheard

The paper presents findings from a qualitative study of four child death reviews published in Australia. The study was informed by the theoretical concept of childism. A critical social research methodology facilitated the exposure of childist dynamics in statutory child protection. The transformation of child protection practices and systems has traditionally relied on the imposition of never‐ending structural changes, policies, and procedures. This paper proposes that transformation and the erosion of childist dynamics is contingent on humane and ethical statutory child protection agencies.     

PROPERLY RESCALED COMPONENTS OF SMOOTH TESTS OF FIT ARE DIAGNOSTIC

The paper illustrates a typical pitfall associated with a conventional interpretation of components of smooth tests of fit, for example the first nonzero components of the smooth tests for Poissonity, exponentiality, normality and the geometric distribution. In order to achieve a directed diagnosis concerning the kind of departure from a hypothesised model, an appropriate rescaling of components is necessary.     

Beauty Goes Down to the Core: Attractiveness Biases Moral Character Attributions

Journal of Nonverbal Behavior - Physical attractiveness is a heuristic that is often used as an indicator of desirable traits. In two studies (N?=?1254), we tested whether facial...     

Are Population and Land Use Changes Perceived as Threats to Sense of Place in the New West? A Multilevel Modeling Approach

The Intermountain West's rapid changes in population growth and land use may be welcome to some, but others perceive such changes as threats to sense of place. The objective of this study is to assess whether New West and Old West contextual variables predict how agricultural landowners view threats to agricultural lifestyles and sense of place. We analyze survey data collected from 2,270 agricultural landowners in Colorado and Wyoming utilizing a multilevel regression model (MLM). We posit that this analytical approach is effective for evaluating hierarchal New West or Old West economic configurations that may otherwise be difficult to observe. Our study specifically examines whether population pressures threaten agricultural lifestyles in the amenity‐based New West or in Old West economic regimes with proclivity toward large‐scale agricultural production. Our results show that landowners in farming‐dependent counties and in high‐amenity areas express greater concern than other landowners surveyed about increases in population growth that could threaten an agricultural way of life. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these perceptions relate to whether individuals reside in New West or Old West counties. In summary, some of the contextual variables of New West and Old West economic structures predict whether individuals perceive population growth and land use changes as threats to sense of place.     

Feedbackarbeit in Lehr-Lern-Prozessen

Working with feedback in schools is often based on the (mis-)understanding that it is a form of teacher assessment carried out by the students. Therefore, this paper starts with demarcating feedback from patterns of expectation and of actions that equate feedback with assessment. It unfolds a concept of feedback which is based on methodically structured discussions, shared responsibility, a dialogue practice and designed working alliances. It reconstructs a practice that avoids assessment and seeks possibilities to support learning processes and lesson development. This concept of working with feedback as a motor for a systematic and collaborative lesson development hasn't been a result of an armchair decision. It is grounded on experiences of teachers in four schools who, for one year, continuously worked with feedback methods in their lessons—not by themselves but collaboratively in a network with other schools and in the context of a scientifically accompanied project.     

A characterization of and new consistent tests for symmetry

Let X and Y be independent and identically distributed random variables having a continuous distribution function. We study new consistent tests for symmetry around a known median based on the fact that the distribution of X is symmetric around 0 if, and only if, |X| and |max(X,Y)| have the same distribution.     

Recent and classical tests for normality - a comparative study

We give a critical synopsis of classical and recent tests for univariate normality, our emphasis being on procedures which are consistent against all alternatives. The power performance of some selected tests (Anderson-Darling, Shapiro-Wilk, Shapiro-Francia, Epps-Pulley) is assessed in a simulation study. Numerical results are illuminated by plots of isodynes, i.e., lines of constant estimated power, for the Johnson-system of distributions.